SCOTLAND

Andy Coulson

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson since 21 January 2011;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011.

Michael Moore: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Ministerial Meetings

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010.

Michael Moore: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Departmental Lost Property

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was.

Michael Moore: In the last 12 months, one item has been reported as lost. The Scotland Office incurred a cost of £125 to replace this item.

Devolution

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on a referendum on independence in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Prime Minister on a range of policy matters.

Lloyd Banking Group: Redundancy

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of Lloyds Banking Group on planned redundancies in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I met with representatives of Lloyds Banking Group on 4 and 7 July 2011.

Olympic Games 2012

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the benefits to the economy of Scotland of the London 2012 Olympics.

David Mundell: Scotland stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the Games, through businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations.
	As of June 2011, 25 Scottish businesses directly involved in the construction programme have supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority, to the value of almost £24.5 million. This figure does not include the value of contracts further down the supply chain.

Trade Groups

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  who will be members of the Scottish Trade Group announced on 8 July 2011; and what criteria will be set for membership;
	(2)  what powers will be provided to the Scottish Trade Group announced on 8 July 2011; and what funding the Government plans to provide to the group.

Michael Moore: Overseas trade and investment is vital to the economic recovery and it is essential that Scotland plays its part. On 8 July 2011, I established the Scottish Trade Group to examine ways in which the UK Government can do more to help Scottish companies do business overseas.
	This is a non-statutory group which will provide advice to me in my capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland. Its purpose is to serve as a direct channel for companies and others in Scotland to share views with the UK Government on their trade and investment priorities.
	We are working in partnership with the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), who will provide secretariat support and hosting facilities. The Group will draw on the expertise of UK Trade and Investment, Scottish Development International and SCDI who are working hard to help Scottish companies do more trade across the globe. The Group will include representatives from a range of industry sectors from across Scotland, drawing on SCDI's broad membership.

DEFENCE

Cybercrime

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of the threat faced by the UK from cyber attack; and what his policy is on how to respond to that threat.

Liam Fox: The Government take cyber security very seriously and has recently announced additional funding of £650 million to protect the United Kingdom and to respond effectively to threats from cyberspace.
	The national cyber security programme went live in April 2011 and is managed by the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCSIA). The OCSIA supports the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), and the National Security Council in determining priorities in relation to securing cyberspace. The unit provides strategic direction and coordinates action relating to enhancing cyber security and information assurance in the UK.
	Within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) there are technical, organisational, procedural, and physical measures in place to protect against and mitigate the impact of cyber attacks. We do not comment on the specific detail of cyber security incidents or threat assessments.
	The MOD is leading on work to develop a cyber security and information risk management regime under the auspices of the pan-Government Information Communications Technology (ICT) strategy to apply to all major ICT projects and common infrastructure and services
	The MOD reviews the adequacy of its overall protection on an annual basis to inform its planning round process.

Cybercrime

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timetable is for delivery of each programme funded through his Department's allocation to cyber security.

Liam Fox: The Defence Cyber Security Programme, which is responsible for delivering the Defence element of the National Cyber Security Programme in the Ministry of Defence, will deliver its objectives by 2015.

Cybercrime: Manpower

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) military and (b) non-military serving personnel are assigned to cyber security tasks; and what the rank or position is of each such person.

Liam Fox: Cyber security is the responsibility of all personnel within the Ministry of Defence, and we are taking action to mainstream it into the way we conduct operations and business.
	In doing so, we draw on a wide range of specialist personnel. Details of their numbers, ranks or positions, are being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors were taken into account when deciding to relocate the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

Peter Luff: In 2009, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) completed a programme of site rationalisation which reduced its footprint from 17 to three core sites: Porton Down, Fort Halstead and Portsdown West. I have interpreted this question to refer to the subsequent decision which I announced on 17 June 2011, Official Report, columns 87-88WS, to further rationalise DSTL’s footprint and relocate staff from Fort Halstead to Porton Down and Portsdown West. The following factors informed that decision:
	Capability
	The majority of the capabilities based at Fort Halstead will benefit from relocation because of potential synergies of skills and facilities with capabilities already based at the other DSTL sites. No capabilities will be disadvantaged by such a move.
	Flexibility
	Focusing on a smaller number of sites will increase DSTL’s ability to flex resources between capabilities in response to changing customer demand and priorities—including any potential future draw-down.
	Career development
	Staff will have greater opportunity to develop their careers by moving within DSTL without needing to move home.
	Smith review
	Nearly 800 civil service posts will be relocated out of the south-east of England.
	Sustainability
	Much of the building stock and infrastructure at Fort Halstead is old and not carbon efficient. The move will enable DSTL to significantly improve its performance against its sustainability targets.
	Finance
	DSTL will save about £1 million of operating costs per month.

Departmental Pay

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what salary each Minister in his Department received in 2010-11.

Liam Fox: holding answer 7 July 2011
	On 13 May 2010 this Government introduced a 5% reduction in ministerial salaries compared to Ministers in the last Government.
	Salaries paid to Ministers in the Ministry of Defence for financial year 2010-11 are as follows:
	
		
			  Period:  
			 Ministers From To Salary to 31 March 2011 (£) 
			 Dr Liam Fox MP 12 May 2010 31 March 2011 61,056.18 
			 Nick Harvey MP 13 May 2010 31 March 2011 29,187.29 
		
	
	
		
			 Gerald Howarth MP 14 May 2010 31 March 2011 20,894.13 
			 Andrew Robathan MP 14 May 2010 31 March 2011 20,894.13 
			 Peter Luff MP 26 May 2010 31 March 2011 20,129.71 
			 Lord Astor of Hever 26 May 2010 31 March 2011 0

Disclosure of Information

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the inquiry established to determine responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010 has cost to date.

Liam Fox: holding answer 12 July 2011
	There has been no net additional cost, as it is being undertaken by staff as part of their official duties that are already resourced.

Electronic Data Systems

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to EDS between 1997 and 2010; and how much his Department paid to EDS in compensation for changes to the Defence Information Infrastructure project in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

Peter Luff: Payments made by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to EDS Defence Limited are shown in the table.
	No compensation payments were made to EDS Defence Limited for changes to the Defence Information Infrastructure project in 2006 and 2007. The necessary project enhancements were effected through the MOD's programme change procedures.
	
		
			 Financial year Payments (£ million) 
			 1997-98 n/a 
			 1998-99 141 
			 1999-2000 116 
			 2000-01 118 
			 2001-02 144 
			 2002-03 179 
			 2003-04 181 
			 2004-05 201 
			 2005-06 336 
			 2006-07 570 
			 2007-08 634 
			 2008-09 775 
			 2009-10 818 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	Figures are at current prices and exclude VAT.
	The payments reported have been extracted from the MOD's central contracts database on which is recorded the majority (about 95%) of all MOD payments. Any payments not processed centrally are not included and may have been made on behalf of other Government Departments, by the MOD's Trading Funds and Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (which lie outside the MOD's accounting boundary), locally by the Department, through third parties such as prime contractors or other Government Departments and in relation to collaborative projects where the payments are made through international procurement agencies or overseas Governments;
	From 2004-05, the individual subsidiaries and joint ventures relating to EDS Defence Limited have been reproduced from the corporate structures published in Table 1.17a of UK Defence Statistics. We have used the Hewlett Packard corporate structure for 2008-09 onwards following their takeover of EDS. Where a contract is novated during the year, annual payments are recorded against the company taking ownership of the contract.
	Figures before 2004-05 may not reflect the full holding company structure for EDS Defence Limited owing to data limitations.

Royal Marines

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Marines are configured to operate at brigade level following implementation of the proposals in the strategic defence and security review.

Nick Harvey: By implementing the proposals set out in the strategic defence and security review, the Royal Marines will be configured to deliver one Lead Commando Group of up to 1,800 personnel.

Military Decoration

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Polar Medals have been awarded since 1997.

Andrew Robathan: 73 Polar Medals and seven Clasps have been awarded since 1997.

Military Decoration

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are applied to determine the award of the Polar Medal.

Andrew Robathan: The criteria are clearly outlined in the Royal Warrant of 1998 which was published in the London Gazette No. 55252 dated 14 September 1998. All nominations are considered in accordance with the Royal Warrant.

Military Decoration

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the Polar Medal; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The policy is clearly outlined in the Royal Warrant of 1998 which was published in the London Gazette No. 55252 dated 14 September 1998.
	Her Majesty the Queen is the final arbitrator of the recommendations received from the Polar Medal Assessment Committee.

Military Aircraft

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours the Sentinel R1 aircraft undertook in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Libya in the latest period for which data are available.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 July 2011
	I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Military Police

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many service police are assigned to each location in the (a) Army, (b) RAF, (c) Navy and (d) the Service Police Crime Bureau;
	(2)  how many (a) military personnel of each rank and (b) non-military personnel of each grade serve in the (i) Royal Military Police, (ii) Royal Air Force Police, (iii) Royal Navy Police and (iv) Service Police Crime Bureau.

Andrew Robathan: I will write to the hon. Member.

TRANSPORT

Business: Billing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of invoices from small and medium-sized businesses were paid by his Department within five working days of receipt in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The percentage of invoices paid within five days by the Department for the 12 months June 2010 to May 2011 is 90.66%. It is not possible to distinguish those which relate to small and medium-sized businesses.
	This represents 181,653 invoices paid within five days for the 12-month period out of 200,374 invoices received.
	The Department does not currently record and publish information about the size of suppliers as this does not fully reflect the number and size of businesses engaged in supplying goods and services. We do not discriminate by size of business because many SMEs can be found within larger supply chains.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport holds no contracts with Crown Relocations.

Cycle to Work Scheme

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to promote the Cycle to Work Scheme in (a) Lincoln constituency, (b) Lincolnshire and (c) the UK.

Norman Baker: The Department has traditionally promoted both the Cycle to Work Scheme and the Cycle to Work Guarantee to employers, employees and other Government Departments across the country through a number of Departmental-led promotions and projects. The Department also funds the National Business Travel Network (NBTN). NBTN launched a DFT part funded 'ways2work' tool kit in November 2010 to help people and businesses work more efficiently. The tool kit includes a section on encouraging cycling to work.
	Most recently the Cycle to Work Scheme has been promoted through guidance to the members of the Physical Activity Network which is part of the Department of Health-led Public Health Responsibility Deal. I have also provided a foreword in support of the Cycle to Work-Alliance's Behavioural Impact Analysis.
	Finally, the results of bids for Tranche 1 of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund were released on 5 July 2011, many of which included elements relating to cycling to work.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any external consultants have been engaged as part of the planned introduction of free-flow charging on the Dartford Crossing.

Michael Penning: External consultants have been engaged by the Highways Agency to support the development of the options and business case for the introduction of free-flow charging at the Dartford-Thurrock river crossing.

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010.

Norman Baker: While the Department for Transport does not require contractors to comply with specific ‘behavioural standards’, where relevant, the standard terms of the Department's contracts include requirements in respect of discrimination, health and safety, the environment, and the protection of employment in the event of a transfer of an undertaking (TUPE).

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 2 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport made two statutory instruments (not counting temporary and local ones) that came into force during the period between 2 March and 31 May 2011 and contained revocations. They are listed in the following table. Neither was expected to result in any saving to those affected as the changes to the law were technical.
	
		
			 Title No. In force 
			 The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Trading Fund (Revocation) Order 2011 SI 2011/630 1 April 2011 
			 The Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/650 4 March 2011

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party has been refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister since May 2010.

Norman Baker: I regret that the information requested is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	It is my general policy to accede to all requests for meetings requested by hon. Members, irrespective of party allegiance, unless there are exceptional reasons not to do so.

Electric Vehicles

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking with electric vehicle manufacturers to develop a standard electrical connection.

Norman Baker: This is a matter on which industry leads. Key players, as represented by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' Electric Vehicle Group, the Plugged-In Places and the Institution of Engineering and Technology's Electric Vehicle Group, favour moving to a dedicated plug-in vehicle recharging connector (the IEC62196-2 Type 2) to allow faster recharging rates (up to 32A) than are possible with a three-pin plug. Given this clear direction of travel from industry, the Plugged-In Places will start to install public infrastructure with Type 2 connectors. We will continue to monitor the emergence of standards with industry and internationally.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what analysis his Department has conducted of the merits of (a) charging points and (b) domestic charging of batteries for electric-powered vehicles.

Norman Baker: As set out in the Department for Transport’s plug-in vehicle infrastructure strategy “Making the Connection”, published on 30 June 2011, we want the majority of recharging of plug-in vehicles to take place at home, at night, in a period of off-peak demand for electricity. This will be supported by recharging at workplaces and public infrastructure targeted at those places where they are most likely to be used.
	This approach is supported by the findings of the Technology Strategy Board's Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator programme, one of the largest trials of plug-in vehicles in the world, the Energy Technology Institute's Plug-In Vehicle Economics and Infrastructure programme, Element Energy's work for the Committee on Climate Change and WWFs recent report “Electric Avenues”. These show that recharging at home, at night, is how drivers prefer to recharge. This type of recharging also maximises the environmental benefits of plug-in vehicles by using low carbon night-time generation and is economically preferable, as it allows consumers to take advantage of cheaper off-peak tariffs.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of his policy on charging points on the take-up of subsidies for the purchase of electric-powered vehicles in each of the next four financial years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport's plug-in vehicle infrastructure strategy “Making the Connection” published on 30 June 2011, sets out the Government's strategy for promoting the installation of recharging infrastructure to support the growth in the plug-in vehicle market that we expect to see up to 2020. As well as this Strategy, the Government are also supporting the growth of the plug-in vehicle market through the Plug-In Car Grant providing a 25% discount (up to a maximum of £5,000) on eligible vehicles. These policies support each other with the aim of maintaining the UK at the global forefront of the plug-in vehicle market.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of (a) the likely take-up of subsidies for the purchase of electric-powered vehicles and (b) number of such vehicles which will be subject to the subsidy in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK in each of the next four financial years.

Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Although the market for these new generation vehicles is growing, it is still at a very early stage. There is a provision of £300 million out to 2015 for consumer incentives. The Government are committed to keeping the scheme under regular review to ensure value for money and to keep in step with market developments.
	Manufacturers provide quarterly forecasts of UK supply and sales of eligible vehicles to inform financial planning. However this information and estimates derived from these data are commercially sensitive and cannot be shared.
	(b) 10 vehicles are currently eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant with five currently available for purchase anywhere in the UK. When required by ultra-low emission vehicle manufacturers, OLEV will run assessment panels to determine if additional vehicles will be eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support his Department plans to provide for charging points for electric-powered vehicles in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in the next four financial years.

Norman Baker: The Government have made £30 million available through the Plugged-In Places programme to match fund pilot projects in eight areas across the UK, as part of our Carbon Plan commitment to install 8,500 chargepoints. Transport Scotland was awarded £1.2 million on 14 December 2010 as part of this programme to install 375 chargepoints in Central Scotland, including Glasgow.
	In addition on 30 June 2011, the Government published “Making the Connection: the plug-in vehicle infrastructure strategy”, which set out a range of support that the Government are providing to promote the installation of recharging infrastructure in the UK including:
	Removing barriers to the market, such as the requirement for planning permission for public recharging infrastructure and working to enable charegepoint operators to charge the market rate for electricity from public chargepoints;
	Producing a conducive environment for private investment by encouraging infrastructure through planning policies, supporting the move to standardisation and, if raising finance proves a barrier, the potential for targeted financial solutions through the Green Investment Bank; and
	Helping the consumer by enabling all public infrastructure to be interoperable and improving the provision of information about public chargepoints.

Rail Value for Money Review

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of the recommendations of the McNulty review on the number of (a) ticket offices and (b) on-board rail staff working (i) at stations and (ii) on trains between Brighton and London.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport will be working closely with the Office of Rail Regulation and the rail industry over the next few months to analyse Sir Roy's recommendations and to agree proposals for the reform of the industry.

Railways: Halton

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has assessed the feasibility of opening the Halton Curve for scheduled passenger services.

Theresa Villiers: Merseytravel has carried out a study to establish whether there is a business case for a new local passenger service between Chester/North Wales and Liverpool using an upgraded Halton Curve. In the light of this, it is for Merseytravel rather than the Department for Transport to determine whether this scheme should be a priority for funding.

Rescue Services: Expenditure

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it cost to run the coastguard station at (a) Bangor, (b) Liverpool and (c) Aberdeen in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The costs for the three Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC) for the financial year 2010-11 are as follows:
	
		
			 MRCC Costs (£ million) 
			 (a) Belfast (Bangor) 0.70 
			 (b) Liverpool 0.80 
			 (c) Aberdeen 1.40 
		
	
	Costs include:
	Direct costs of Coastguard MRCCs, including operating costs comprising: payroll, running costs and accommodation costs.
	Some running and accommodation costs include those relating to other Maritime and Coastguard Agency co-located offices and non-separable district office costs.
	Costs exclude:
	Running and maintenance of National Information Communication Technology infrastructure such as radio communications networks, masts and towers, as such costs are not held on a site by site basis.
	Similarly, capital projects such as IT and equipment refresh are not held on a site by site basis.
	Sector managers' pay (those responsible for managing the volunteer coastguard rescue officers (CROs)) and the cost of the volunteer CROs.

Contracts: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of contracts issued by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (i) Scotland, (ii) South Lanarkshire and (iii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) (i to iii) DFT(C) would incur disproportionate costs in trying to obtain this information.
	(b) (i) VOSA awarded two contracts—3.63 % of their totals contracts awarded to small and medium enterprises (SME) in Scotland. DSA, HA and MCA would incur disproportionate costs in trying to obtain this information. DVLA, GCDA and VCA have awarded no contracts to SME in Scotland.
	(b) (ii) VOSA awarded 0% of total contracts to SME in South Lanarkshire.
	(b) (iii) VOSA awarded 0% of total contracts to SME in Rutherglen and West Hamilton.

Shipping: EU Action

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the potential change in costs of inspection of foreign registered vessels calling at British ports arising from the implementation of the European Port State Control Directive.

Michael Penning: An estimate of the potential cost of inspection of foreign registered ships calling at UK ports arising from the implementation of the European Port State Control Directive is set out in a consultation stage impact assessment. The present value of the monetised cost has been estimated at around £3.2 million over ten years.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 959W, on Members: allowances, whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority intends to make an assessment of the effects on public confidence in Parliament of the bi-monthly frequency of its publication of claims.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald,  dated  13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority intends to make an assessment of the effects on public confidence in Parliament of the bi-monthly frequency of its publication of claims.
	Transparency is central to our efforts to restore public confidence in the manner in which MPs are reimbursed for expenses and business costs. The lack of transparency under the former regime governing MPs' expenses was one of the factors that brought it into disrepute.
	A recent survey commissioned by the National Audit Office found that public confidence is increasing: 55% of the general public thought that the situation with respect of MPs' expenses had improved in the last year.
	IPSA's view is that our approach to publication needs to strike a balance between cost effectiveness on one hand and public confidence on the other. The evolution is clear—from the declining number of hits with every publication—that everybody is becoming used to bi-monthly publication as a regular feature of our transparency regime. We see no reasons to undertake further research on this issue.

Telephone Recording

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reasons the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's policy of retaining recordings of telephone calls for more than six years is not stated on its website.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, for what reasons the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's policy of retaining recordings of telephone calls for more than six years is not stated on its website
	It is currently IPSA's policy to retain all digital and electronic records, which include telephone calls, for six years. This policy is currently being reviewed and a revised policy will be published before the end of the year.

Telephone Recording

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what business reasons the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority considers it may be necessary to retain recordings of telephone conversations after a period of six years has elapsed.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for what reasons the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's policy of retaining recordings of telephone calls for more than six years is not stated on its website.
	We do not envisage that there are business reasons to retain recording of telephone conversations beyond the retention period.
	This policy is currently being reviewed and a revised policy will be published before the end of the year.

Telephone Recording

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice given to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority by the Information Commissioner on the retention of recordings of telephone conversations.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, dated 13 July 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question, if I will place in the Library a copy of the advice given to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority by the Information Commissioner on the retention of recordings of telephone conversations.
	We have neither sought nor received such advice. When IPSA first started operations it drew up a draft records management policy which contained a retention policy of six years for electronic and digital files, which include telephone calls.
	IPSA is currently reviewing this policy and envisages amending the retention period for a range of records, including recordings of telephone conversations. A revised policy will be published before the end of the year.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ministerial Meetings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations, including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

George Young: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

HEALTH

Ministerial Meetings

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations, including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010.

Simon Burns: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed. I refer the right hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Carers

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what procedures regulate the (a) quality and (b) safety of care providers in receipt of personal budget payments;
	(2)  what safeguards his Department has put in place in respect of the expenditure of personal budgets on unregistered carers.

Paul Burstow: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all providers of regulated activities as defined in regulations made under the Act, regardless of how the activity is funded, must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet and continue to meet 16 essential requirements of safety and quality. Personal care provided by a family member or friend, with no commercial consideration, does not require registration with the CQC.
	Where the care is arranged and directed by the person receiving the care, without the involvement of an agency, the provider is not required to register with the CQC. This allows the individual to use the personal budget flexibly and choose whatever arrangements suit them best. If they wish to use a provider that is registered with the CQC, with the assurances that registration provides, then they are free to do so.
	Where an individual purchasing support employs someone from an agency, the agency has the responsibility of supplying staff who have had a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check. However, if the individual chooses to employ someone directly they can also request that a CRB check is carried out before they employ that person as a personal assistant.
	Adults with capacity to consent to direct payments or a suitable person are not obliged to obtain CRB checks for someone they employ.
	In both cases, the council should still inform the direct payment recipient that, while a CRB check is not mandatory, they may still wish to consider obtaining one as part of their overall risk management plan. However, it is ultimately a matter for the individual.
	In the case of a suitable person managing a direct payment on behalf of someone lacking capacity who is not a close relative, regulations do require a CRB check for anyone providing care via a direct payment.

Dementia: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in the London Borough of Bexley who have been diagnosed with dementia in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Data on new diagnoses of dementia are not collected. However the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) collects each year the number of patients on the dementia register in general practices.
	The figure for the latest year (2009-10) for Bexley Care Trust (the primary care trust area corresponding to the London borough of Bexley) is 908 patients.
	Note:
	Coverage of QOF. Patients will only contribute to the figures in QOF if they are registered with a general practice participating in QOF.

Dental Health: Devon

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the level of tooth decay amongst children aged 12 and under in (a) Devon and (b) Teignbridge in the latest year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The ‘NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme for England Oral Health Survey of 12 year old Children 2008/2009’ shows that the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) among 12-year-old children in Teignbridge was 1.06 compared to a DMFT of 0.77 for Devon and 0.74 for England as a whole. In order to address persistent inequalities in oral health the Department is developing a new dental contract based on capitation, registration and quality.
	The full results of the survey are available at:
	www.nwph.net/dentalhealth/survey-results-12.aspx
	The two tables from the survey that include the above data have been placed in the Library.

Health Authorities: Postgraduate Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what duties strategic health authorities have in respect of postgraduate education; and which organisations will take on such duties following the abolition of the authorities.

Anne Milton: Strategic health authorities are responsible for funding, planning and quality assuring the provision of postgraduate education and training, including medical and dental post-graduate training programmes and post-graduate programmes for other healthcare professionals. In line with the recommendations of the Future Forum on education and training, strategic health authorities are working with stakeholders and their local healthcare providers to develop employer-led partnerships to plan and develop their local work force, including planning for relevant clinical post-graduate programmes, when the strategic health authorities close in April 2013.
	A new national body, Health Education England, is to be established to provide national leadership for education and training and hold to account the new local arrangements for providing the best quality education and training. The transition will be phased so that provider-led partnerships can take on responsibilities as they are able to demonstrate their capacity and capability against a rigorous authorisation process. We will set out further details in the autumn.

Health Services

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether commissioning groups will decide when to (a) use and (b) prevent a competitive market when delivering certain health services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Our intention is that the application of choice and competition should be driven by patients' needs and expectations, and may vary across different service areas.
	As now, it would be for commissioners to take decisions on when and how to use choice and competition in improving services in line with guidance from the NHS Commissioning Board and the mandate and regulations set by the Secretary of State.
	The Government's focus is on increasing patient choice as the key driver of higher-quality, more personalised care. However, competitive tendering would remain an option where commissioners decide this is the best way to improve services for patients.

Health Services: Freedom of Information

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that any private companies providing health care services for NHS patients will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Simon Burns: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applies to public authorities and companies wholly owned by public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	Where national health service commissioners contract with private providers for the provision of health care services, the NHS standard contract would require that the provider must acknowledge that the commissioners are subject to the requirements of FOIA and shall assist and co-operate with each commissioner to enable the commissioner to comply with its disclosure obligations under the FOIA.

Health Inequalities

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on implementation of the recommendations of the Marmot review of health inequalities in England.

Anne Milton: “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England” (Cm 7985) was the Government's response to the Marmot review on health inequalities in England. It adopts a ‘life course approach’ for tackling health inequalities by addressing the social determinants of health, in line with the review's recommendations. This cross-Government approach to tackling health inequalities and the wider social determinants of health was developed with ministerial colleagues through the Home Affairs' Sub-Committee on Public Health. This work continues through the Sub-Committee, and as part of wider discussions in other ministerial meetings.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the median waiting time for (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient treatments was for patients in York in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May of each subsequent year.

Simon Burns: Since 1997 the national health service has changed the way it measures waiting times, therefore more than one set of data are provided to answer the question.
	Information on median wait times for in-patient (elective care admissions) at York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (FT) between June 1997 and March 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Month ending Median wait (in weeks) 
			 June 1997 12.2 
			 June 1998 16.8 
			 May 1999 12.9 
			 May 2000 16.2 
			 May 2001 16.4 
			 May 2002 15.9 
			 May 2003 14.8 
			 May 2004 11.5 
			 May 2005 9.9 
			 May 2006 8.8 
			 May 2007 6.4 
			 May 2008 4.9 
			 May 2009 4.7 
			 March 2010 3.5 
			 Notes: 1. No figures are available for May 1997, as waiting times data was only collected quarterly in 1997. Therefore, figures for June 1997 have been provided. 2. Figures on in-patient and out-patient waiting times were only published monthly from June 1998. Therefore, figures for June 1998 have been provided. 3. Data on in-patient waiting lists not collected after March 2010. Therefore, figures for March 2010 have been provided. 4. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 5. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. Source: Department of Health KH07, Monthly monitoring return. 
		
	
	Information on the median referral to treatment (RTT) waiting time (weeks) for patients completing a pathway for York Teaching Hospitals NHS FT between 2008 and 2011 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Admitted (adjusted) pathways completed during month: 
			 Period Median waiting time (in weeks) 
			 May 2008 10.1 
			 May 2009 10.2 
			 May 2010 8.2 
			 April 2011 6.5 
			 Notes: 1. The figures show the median time for patients completing a pathway in the period stated. 2. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 3. May 2011 figures will be published on 14 July 2011. 4. These figures reflect the total time waited from referral to treatment as compared to in-patient stage of treatment as shown in the previous table. Source: Department of Health Referral to Treatment return 
		
	
	Information on median waiting time (weeks) for out-patients seen during the quarter May to July between 1997 and 2007 for York Teaching Hospitals NHS FT is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Out-patients seen during the quarter: 
			 Quarter ending Median wait (in weeks) 
			 June 1997 6.5 
			 June 1998 6.6 
			 June 1999 8.9 
			 June 2000 8.5 
			 June 2001 5.7 
			 June 2002 5.7 
			 June 2003 5.7 
			 June 2004 6.4 
			 June 2005 5.9 
			 June 2006 4.6 
			 June 2007 3.8 
			 Notes: 1. Data on out-patient times waited are only available quarterly, so figures for quarter ending June have been provided. 2. The figures show the median time waited for patients having a first consultant led out-patient appointment in the period stated. 3. Out-patient waiting times are measured from general practitioner referral to first out-patient appointment. 4. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 5. Figures last published September 2007. Source: Department of Health return QM08 
		
	
	Information on median RTT waiting time (weeks) for non-admitted patients completing a pathway for York Teaching Hospitals NHS FT between 2008 and 2011 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Non-admitted pathways completed during month: 
			 Period Median waiting time (in weeks) 
			 May 2008 5.2 
			 May 2009 4.3 
			 May 2010 3.9 
			 April 2011 3.1 
			 Notes: 1. The figures show the median time for patients completing a pathway in the period stated. 2. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 3. May 2011 figures will be published on 14 July 2011, 4. These figures reflect the total time waited from referral to treatment as compared to the out-patient stages of treatment waiting time as shown in the previous table. Source: Department of Health Referral to Treatment return 
		
	
	The most recent RTT data will be published on the Department's website on 14 July 2011 at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/ReferraltoTreatmentstatistics/index.htm

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in York waited for more than six months for NHS treatment in each year since 1997.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of patients waiting over six months for inpatient admission at York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (FT) from March 1997 to March 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Month ending Number of patients still waiting over six months at month end 
			 March :  
			 1997 935 
		
	
	
		
			 1998 2,744 
			 1999 1,641 
			 2000 1,752 
			 2001 1,884 
			 2002 1,900 
			 2003 1,711 
			 2004 826 
			 2005 532 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 0 
			 2009 0 
			 2010 0 
			 Notes: 1. Since 2006, figures reflect number of patients waiting over 26 weeks. 2. Data on inpatient waiting lists not collected after March 2010. Source: Department of Health KH07, monthly monitoring return. 
		
	
	In addition, since 2007, waiting times on a referral to treatment (RTT) basis have been published. Information on the number of patients who waited over 26 weeks on an admitted RTT pathway at York Teaching Hospitals NHS FT between 2008 and 2011 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of admitted patients who waited 26 weeks or more from RTT 
			 2008-09 498 
			 2009-10 622 
			 2010-11 410 
			 Note: Data shown for whole financial year. Source: Department of Health RTT return.

Influenza: Vaccination

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in the North Yorkshire and York primary care trust area received influenza injections in each year since 2005.

Anne Milton: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Influenza season Number of people aged 65 or over vaccinated against seasonal influenza 
			 2006-07 110,892 
			 2007-08 111,177 
			 2008-09 113,431 
			 2009-10 113,478 
			 2010-11 114,426 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide data for 2005 as North Yorkshire and York primary care trust was not formed until 1 October 2006.

Medical Records: Databases

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the original estimate, in current prices, was of the cost to the public purse of the electronic patient record system commissioned in 2002; and what the final cost, in current prices, was at the time of completion.

Simon Burns: The National Audit Office (NAO) Report (2008) stated that the estimated total cost of the national programme for information technology would be £12.7 billion. The latest NAO report (2011) stated that the Department plans to reduce the overall cost of the programme to £11.4 billion and that, as of 31 March 2011, the Department and the national health service (in England) have spent £6.4 billion on the programme. These costs are based on a 2004-05 price base. Certain elements of the programme have not yet been delivered.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 27 May 2011 with regard to Ms M. Robinson.

Simon Burns: The Department replied to the right hon. Member's letter of 27 May 2011 on behalf of Ms Robinson on 29 June 2011.

Mental Health

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of mental health problems arising from bereavement in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: There is currently no mechanism for recording whether or not bereavement has been a causal factor contributing to someone's need to be treated for mental health problems.

NHS: Drugs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire of 7 March 2011, Official Report, column 896W, on drugs: finance, how much the NHS spent on medicines including primary and secondary care in each year between 2005-06 and 2009-10 as a proportion of total NHS expenditure recorded in the National Programme Budgeting Database.

Simon Burns: The requested information is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			 NHS medicines expenditure and as a proportion of national programme budget expenditure 
			  £ million  
			  Primary care drugs expenditure Secondary care drugs expenditure Total drugs expenditure Programme budgeting expenditure Drugs as a proportion of programme budget expenditure (%) 
			 2005-06 7,235 2,764 9,999 80,185 12.5 
			 2006-07 7,593 2,969 10,562 84,193 12.5 
			 2007-08 7,663 3,274 10,937 93,183 11.7 
			 2008-09 7,749 3,647 11,397 96,815 11.8 
			 2009-10 7,946 3,974 11,920 103,975 11.5 
			 Sources: Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business services Authority, England, Department of Health Finance Division, Foundation Trust year-end accounts. Department of Health resource accounts, primary care trust and strategic health authority programme budgeting returns.

NHS: Training

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse will be of the NHS Bursary Scheme in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The estimated expenditure for the NHS Bursary Scheme in 2011-12 is £525 million. The costs are dependent on the number of students and the package of support available to each student. An estimate of the costs for 2012-13 will be made once further information is available about the number of student places that will be filled in 2012-13.

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust: Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resource allocation was made to North Yorkshire and York primary care trust (PCT) in the year it was created and each subsequent year to 2011-12; and what allocation is planned for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 in (i) cash terms, (ii) cash terms deflated by the retail prices index, (iii) cash terms deflated by inflation in health care costs and (iv) cash terms deflated by inflation in health care costs and adjusted for demographic changes in the (A) number of people living and (B) age structure of the population which the PCT serves.

Simon Burns: North Yorkshire and York primary care trust (PCT) was established on 1 October 2006 as a result of a merger between Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT; Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT; Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT; and Selby and York PCT. As recurrent revenue allocations had already been made to the predecessor PCTs for 2006-07 and 2007-08, the first allocation made directly to North Yorkshire and York PCT was for 2008-09.
	The following tables set out the allocations to predecessor PCTs from 2003-04 to 2007-08, and to North Yorkshire and York PCT from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
	Recurrent revenue allocations to PCTs for 2012-13 will be announced later this year. Subject to the passing of the Health and Social Care Bill, the National Health Service Commissioning Board would take over responsibility for the allocation of resources from the Department of Health for 2013-14 onwards. Allocations would be made to clinical commissioning groups. Further detail on allocations and processes will be announced in due course.
	
		
			 Table 1: Recurrent revenue allocations made to the predecessor PCTs 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			 £000 
			  2003-04 to 2005-06 allocation round 2006-07 to 2007-08 allocation round 
			  2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT 166,668 181,585 197,111 235,518 254,740 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 91,187 99,349 107,843 129,360 139,918 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 138,792 152,118 166,123 198,010 216,805 
			 Selby and York PCT 216,207 235,557 255,791 307,131 335,917 
			 Total 612,855 668,610 726,867 870,019 947,379 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Recurrent revenue allocations made to North Yorkshire and York PCT 2008-09 to 2011-12 
			 £000 
			  2008-09 allocations 2009-10 to 2010-11 allocation round 2011-12 allocations 
			  2008-09 recurrent revenue allocation 2009-10 recurrent revenue allocation 2010-11 recurrent revenue allocation 2011-12 recurrent revenue allocation 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 999,125 1,076,587 1,139,019 1,151,558 
			 Notes: 1. Allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08 were announced for 303 PCTs on 9 February 2005. These became 152 PCTs on 1 October 2006 and involved the merger of the four PCTs in Table 1 that became North Yorkshire and York PCT. 2. Allocations are not always comparable between years because of changes to baseline funding. Source: Financial Planning and Allocations Division, Department of Health.

Nurses: Pay

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average pay of an NHS nurse was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May of each subsequent year.

Simon Burns: The average pay of a qualified national health service nurse in England in the period requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Estimated earnings per full-time equivalent member of staff 
			 £ 
			 Financial year Cash Real Terms 
			 1997-98 20,830 29,352 
			 1998-99 21,042 29,038 
			 1999-2000 22,329 30,220 
			 2000-01 23,427 31,295 
			 2001-02 24,733 32,317 
			 2002-03 25,702 32,535 
			 2003-04 26,342 32,430 
			 2004-05 27,697 33,176 
			 2005-06 28,784 33,864 
			 2006-07 29,863 33,992 
			 2007-08 31,150 34,469 
			 2008-09 32,335 34,817 
			 2009-10 33,378 35,364 
			 Notes: 1. These figures are estimated using NHS paybill data relating to entire financial years, with further adjustment to deduct employer pension and national insurance costs, and data on work force numbers from the NHS Census taken each September. 2. Real terms figures are based on 2011-12 prices. 3. Estimates relating specifically to May are unavailable for this period. 4. The latest available paybill data relate to 2009-10.

Nurses: Pay

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the starting salary of an NHS nurse was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May of each subsequent year.

Simon Burns: The starting salary of a newly qualified national health service nurse in England since May 1997 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Qualified nurse starting salary: May 1997 to May 2011 
			 £ 
			 Year Starting pay—cash terms (1,2) Starting pay—real terms 2011-12 prices 
			 1997-98 (3)12,230 17,234 
			 1998-99 (3)12,630 17,429 
			 1999-2000 14,400 19,489 
			 2000-01 14,890 19,891 
			 2001-02 15,445 20,181 
			 2002-03 16,005 20,260 
			 2003-04 16,525 20,344 
			 2004-05(4) 17,060 20,435 
			 2005-06 18,698 21,998 
			 2006-07 19,166 21,816 
			 2007-08 (3)19,454 21,527 
			 2008-09 20,225 21,778 
			 2009-10 20,710 21,943 
			 2010-11 21,176 21,790 
			 2011-12 21,176 21,176 
			 (1) Starting pay for a newly qualified nurse is normally the minimum of the grade applicable to basic grade qualified nurses. The annual uplift date (unless staging applied) is 1 April. (2) The grades applicable to basic grade qualified nurses in the years set out in the table are as follows: 1988-89 to 2004-05 D Grade 2005-06 to 2010-11 Agenda for Change Band 5 Figures given are for the minimum of these grades in the year in question, as of 1 May. This excludes any staged increases. (3) Staged increase in the following years: 1997-98—Increased to £12,385 on 1 December 1997 1998-99—Increased to £12,855 on 1 December 1998 2007-08—Increased to £19,683 on 1 November 2007 (4 )The rate given is the D Grade rate as of May 2004, pre Agenda for Change. The effective implementation date for Agenda for Change was 1 October 2004. The minimum of Agenda for Change Band 5 from that date was £18,114.

Primary Care Trusts: Manpower

David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on redundancies at primary care trusts in (a) the North East and (b) England since May 2010; how many previous employees have been rehired elsewhere in the NHS; and how many temporary posts have been created by primary care trusts.

Simon Burns: Data on the redundancy costs for 2010-11 are not yet available, as work on the accounts and the audit is not yet complete.
	The NHS Summarised Accounts are currently expected to be laid before Parliament in early September, and data will therefore be available from that date.
	Nationally, an estimated 145 national health service staff were made redundant and subsequently re-employed by NHS organisations on a permanent basis between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011. During the same period, an additional estimated 90 staff were made redundant and subsequently re-employed on a fixed-term contract basis.
	Figures are not currently available for those staff made redundant and rehired only from primary care trusts, nor those made redundant and rehired in the north-east due to technical problems with the Department's reporting mechanism. I will write to the right hon. Member very shortly with this information and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

Andrew Coulson

Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister what the job description of Mr Andrew Coulson was during his employment at 10 Downing street.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 June 2010, Official Report, column 37W.

Andrew Coulson

Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister what the role was of each official who reported to Mr Andrew Coulson during his employment at 10 Downing street.

David Cameron: Mr Andrew Coulson had no line management responsibility for any officials.

Andrew Coulson

Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister whether Mr Andrew Coulson had access to any classified information relating to (a) security matters in Northern Ireland, (b) police policy, (c) police operations and (d) police appointments; and whether he attended any meetings on these subjects.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 336W.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation's Perpetual Fund

Denis MacShane: To ask the Prime Minister how much the Government has donated to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation's Perpetual Fund since the fund's inception.

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have each contributed £1 million in 2011-12 to the Auschwitz-Birkenau restoration fund. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will contribute a further £100,000 in 2013. The fund will ensure the consolidation, restoration and long-term maintenance of the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps.

Phone Hacking

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Prime Minister how many conversations 
	(1)  he has had with (a) Mr Andy Coulson and (b) Rebekah Brooks on allegations of phone hacking since 11 May 2010;
	(2)  when he last met in his official capacity (a) Mr James Murdoch, (b) Rebekah Brooks and (c) Mr Andy Coulson.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 313-14 and the answer 1 gave to the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner) on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 321-22.
	A list of my official meetings with external organisations is published quarterly and can be found on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/transparency/who-ministers-are-meeting/

JUSTICE

Ministerial Meetings

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Kenneth Clarke: As has been the practice of previous Administrations, information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Community Orders

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether a financial limit will be placed on contract bids for the purpose of tendering for unpaid work for offenders in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: There will be no financial limit placed upon a returned contract bid, but the authority will provide bidders with a contract threshold price. The authority would expect bids to identify cost savings (efficiencies) against existing operational arrangements and to be affordable within MOJ/NOMS budgetary constraints.

Community Orders

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the reasons for probation service confidentiality clauses in respect of the tendering for unpaid work in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: All bidders in Community Payback mini-competitions are required to sign the confidentiality undertaking, accepting that they have a fiduciary duty of care to the authority in respect of written and oral information provided during the course of a competition. This is usual practice and necessary to protect the integrity of the competition itself.

Community Orders

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who will be responsible for providing evidence to the courts of a breach of unpaid work conditions following the completion of the tendering processes for unpaid work in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: Following the Community Payback (unpaid work) competitions, probation trusts will continue to be responsible for the presentation of uncontested breaches in court. In single unpaid work requirement cases in which a Community Payback provider is responsible for offender management, they will be required to submit evidence to support the breach action available to the relevant probation trust.

Courts: Enforcement

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any private sector company responsible for criminal court enforcement will be required to conduct risk assessments on offenders.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service are developing a strategy for the enforcement of fines and how best to improve this in the future. This could include forming a partnership with a commercial partner. Details of any partnership with a commercial company to deliver enforcement functions for criminal court fines or how a partnership might be run are not yet known.

Data Protection

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he proposes to take to prevent the unlawful trading of confidential personal information.

Kenneth Clarke: The unlawful obtaining or disclosure of personal data is an offence under s.55 of the Data Protection Act. The Ministry of Justice has been exploring ways of making the illegal obtaining and disclosure of personal data less lucrative, for example, through the use of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, under which unlawfully gained assets can be recovered. This was recently used successfully in connection with the Information Commissioner's prosecution of two offenders who had sold customer information relating to mobile phone contracts. I have also asked the Sentencing Council to consider the production of a sentencing guideline on data protection offences, and we are keeping the question of greater penalties for such offences under review.
	I expect that these matters may be of relevance to the inquiry to be chaired by Lord Justice Leveson. Draft terms of reference for that inquiry have been placed in the Library of the House.

Data Protection

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the penalties provided for in Section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Kenneth Clarke: The Government are keeping the matter of penalties for offences committed under section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 under review.

Departmental Compensation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 972W, on departmental compensation, what steps he is taking to reduce the need for his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies to compensate the public for errors made.

Kenneth Clarke: The following steps are being taken to reduce departmental compensation by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies who have made compensation payments.
	The amount of claims received, the outcome and the type of error that has been made for each compensation claim is monitored. Feedback and training are given to the staff concerned. Where appropriate, changes to policy, work practices and processes are made to improve service delivery.
	Complaints-handling processes have been restructured within the Department to ensure all trends are better captured and that action can be taken quickly to deal with any significant issues that arise. Further work is being done this year to develop this customer intelligence function and to better identify those areas where customer expectations are not being met.

Judicial Review: Costs

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent in each cost category on representation and related costs in relation to completed judicial reviews relating to inquests in each year since 2006-07.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is not a party to judicial review proceedings which name the coroner as the defendant. Costs incurred during these proceedings will be met by the coroner's local authority and the applicant bringing the proceedings.
	There are, however, some judicial reviews of inquests into deaths in prison custody where the National Offender Management Service is represented as an interested party. It has not, however, been possible to provide expenditure for these cases as this information could only be obtained by going through all invoices sent by the Treasury Solicitor, who represents Government in such proceedings, which would be at disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of unsuccessful cases supported by legal aid in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Total costs to civil legal aid (£ million) 
			 2008-09 284.50 
			 2009-10 232.76

Legal Aid Scheme

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of clinical negligence claimants supported by legal aid were identified as disabled in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is able to provide this information and it is shown in the following table. Figures relate to civil representation only.
	
		
			  Proportion (percentage) 
			 2007-08 46.3 
			 2008-09 45.6 
			 2009-10 46.0

Legal Aid Scheme

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many clinical negligence cases supported from public funds were investigated and not pursued beyond the investigation stage in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and how much was spent in legal aid for such cases in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Volume Costs (£ million) 
			 2008-09 2,401 14.3 
			 2009-10 2,016 13.0

Legal Aid Scheme

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he made of the effects of the reduction in expenditure on legal aid on the ability of the Immigration Advisory Service to carry out its functions; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission has been working closely with Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) for some time now following an audit which raised concerns around the company's financial management and claims irregularities and as such, the Trustees of the IAS decided that the organisation had to enter into administration on 8 July 2011.
	The IAS's current position reflects the company's past financial management and claims irregularities and is not a direct consequence of the proposed legal aid reforms, not least because these reforms have yet to be implemented. It is the current and historic financial management failures, that have resulted in significant liabilities which IAS has found itself unable to meet.
	During recent negotiations with the Legal Services Commission, the IAS confirmed that they had plans in place to continue to operate after proposed legal aid reforms were implemented and would be in a position to return a surplus of around £500,000 per annum. As such, this makes it clear that it is the debt owed to the LSC that has placed the IAS into administration, not the as yet unimplemented reforms.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many cases his Department has provided legal aid for advice or assistance in relation to an application for a visa to enter the UK (a) for the purposes of study and (b) under the points based system in each of the last three years; and what the total expenditure was in each respect.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) did not record data on legal aid in relation to visas at a level which would enable them to say whether they were for the purposes of study prior to May 2009. The LSC does not record data on whether the legal advice was provided for an application in relation to someone entering the UK, or to someone already in the UK.
	The LSC provided 1,965 acts of assistance in relation to visa applications for the purposes of study in the calendar year 2010; the associated costs were £893,775,
	The LSC is unable to provide information on visa applications relating to the points based system, as it does not record information in this way.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 1 June 2011 with regard to Mr W. Howe.

Kenneth Clarke: A reply has now been sent to the right hon. Member. I apologise for the delay.

Privacy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will ask the Information Commissioner to update his paper entitled, “What price privacy now?”, as a matter of urgency.

Kenneth Clarke: I understand that since his ‘What price privacy now?’ report the Information Commissioner has continued to prosecute offenders and raise public awareness of the unlawful trade in personal information.
	The Commissioner is independent of Government, and decisions on producing reports are entirely a matter for him. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, and in addition to his Annual Report, the Information Commissioner may at any time lay reports before Parliament on his functions as he sees fit.

Probation

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the anticipated cost is to each probation trust in England and Wales of tendering for unpaid work.

Crispin Blunt: It is a matter for probation trusts to decide whether to act as a prime bidder for the provision of Community Payback (unpaid work). No separate funds have been made available to probation trusts to support this activity and NOMS would expect them to absorb any additional costs within their existing budgets.

Young Offenders: Remand in Custody

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what offence each person under the age of 18 held on remand was accused on the latest date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Information held by the Youth Justice Board records the primary offence group for young people on custodial remand, on their Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS).
	The following table shows the 2009-10 average custody population of young people under 18-years-old, and held on remand by the primary offence group they were charged with, including those who breached the conditions of their bail.
	
		
			 Offence group (1) 2009-10 average 
			 Violence against the person 161 
			 Sexual offences 32 
			 Burglary 87 
			 Robbery 156 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 24 
			 Fraud and forgery 2 
			 Criminal damage 15 
			 Drug offences 40 
			 Other indictable offences 27 
			 Indictable motoring offences n/a 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) n/a 
			 Summary motoring offences n/a 
			 Total under 18 remand population by offence group(2) 587 
			 n/a = not available(2) (1) As defined by Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. (2) Some offence descriptions used by the Youth Justice Board SACHS system do not include sufficient detail to permit them to be assigned to a standard offence group used by the Ministry of Justice. The total in this table includes 45 juveniles where this is the case.

WALES

Welfare State: Reform

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the conclusions and recommendations of the report by Sheffield Hallam university on the effects on Wales of the Government's proposed welfare reforms.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Employment, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), today.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for alcohol-related violence in (a) York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) England in each year since 2005.

James Brokenshire: The requested data on arrests are not collected centrally. Data on arrests are collected by offence category, such as “violence against the person” and “drug offences”, and are not available at more specific levels such as “alcohol-related violence”. Data on the offence categories described above are published annually in chapter 1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin “Police Powers and Procedures”. Current and previous editions of this are available in the Library of the House.

Asylum: Information and Communications Technology

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was, at current prices, of the Siemens computer system for processing asylum applications.

Damian Green: The Home Department does not have a contract with Siemens for a computer system to process asylum applications. Accordingly, there has been no cost to the public purse.

Departmental Contracts

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total monetary value is of contracts her Department holds with (a) Co sponsor, (b) Steria and (c) Blue Light Solutions.

Damian Green: The Home Department and its Executive Agencies has no recorded contracts with (a) Co Sponsor or (c) Blue Light Solutions. The total monetary value of contracts held with (b) Steria is £56 million.

Departmental Dismissal

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department were dismissed for under-performance as a result of the procedures arising from her Department's staff appraisal system in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: The number of staff dismissed for under-performance (inefficiency) is shown in table 1. This covers dismissals arising from both poor performance and poor attendance. The numbers relate to the Home Office, UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau in each of the last three financial years.
	
		
			 Table 1:  Number of staff dismissed for inefficiency 
			  Total number dismissed for inefficiency (poor attendance and poor performance) 
			 2010-11 42 
			 2009-10 25 
			 2008-09 (1)14 
			 (1) IPS are unable to provide data for 2008-09 due to changes in HR recording systems and the unavailability of records pre 2009.

EU Justice and Home Affairs

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police and criminal justice instruments adopted under the pre-Lisbon treaty third pillar arrangements would be liable to transfer to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in 2014 should the UK opt to accept the transfer at the end of the transitional period granted under Article 10 Of Protocol 36 to the consolidated version of the treaty on European Union.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 July 2011
	There are between 80 and 90 Acts currently in force that were adopted before 1 December 2009 under the Police and Criminal Judicial Co-operation chapter (Title VI) of the treaty on the European Union. Article 10(4) of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions (Protocol 36) to the treaty on the functioning of the European Union applies to these Acts. This list is subject to change, as Acts that are repealed and replaced or amended by new instruments cease to fall within the scope of Protocol 36. In accordance with the Minister for Europe's written ministerial statement on 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, Parliament will be kept informed of developments.
	Officials are currently liaising with the European institutions to establish a definitive list and the Government have committed to providing this list to Parliament as soon as possible.

Forensic Science Service: Closure

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the closure of the Forensic Science Service on policing and justice.

James Brokenshire: We are working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), as well as the Forensic Science Service (FSS) board and other partners across the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to put in place plans to maintain a sustainable operational and research capability within the forensics market both during and after the transition. We are committed to minimising the impact on the CJS and the continued provision of effective forensics is a priority for the Home Office.
	ACPO have been clear that the forensics market can cope with the managed wind-down of the FSS. Feedback from the police and suppliers suggests that a managed wind-down will allow for an orderly transfer of capacity that minimises the cost to the taxpayer and enables us to manage the risks to the CJS.

Illegal Immigrants

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have overstayed their visa in each of the last six months for which data are available; and of those, how many (a) have been identified and deported and (b) remain in the UK.

Damian Green: It is not possible to accurately quantify the number of overstayers in the UK as some deliberately evade immigration control in order to remain in the country illegally.
	The e-Borders system enables checks to be made on individuals arriving or exiting the country at a majority of the points of entry to the UK, but it is not yet fully rolled out. e-Borders is currently tracking around 55% of inbound and 60% of outbound passenger movements to and from the UK. This equates to approximately 126 million passengers a year on over 2,800 routes, and includes over 90% of non-EU aviation passengers. The Government are committed to increasing the number of UK ports undertaking exit checks to ensure that a more complete passenger travel history is recorded.
	This will enable provision of the information requested to be developed as e-Borders is progressively rolled out.
	We are however able to provide the number of identified overstayers and of those how many have been subsequently removed, between January 2011 and June 2011.
	
		
			 Month Identified Removed 
			 January 2011 2,109 1,035 
			 February 2011 2,394 1,147 
			 March 2011 2,767 1,381 
			 April 2011 1,780 643 
			 May 2011 2,022 695 
			 June 2011 2,384 719 
			 Total 13,456 5,620 
			 Note: All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

John Hagee

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of whether the admission to the UK of Pastor John Hagee is conducive to the public good; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with (a) representatives of foreign governments and (b) representatives of groups and organisations in the UK about the forthcoming visit of Pastor John Hagee to the UK.

Damian Green: It is Home Office policy not to comment routinely on individual cases.

Knives: Crime

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences involving the use of a knife were recorded in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office holds data on knife and sharp instrument offences at police force area level only. Data are therefore provided for the Lancashire police force area.
	In 2007-08, Lancashire police recorded 374 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument for a select group of offences. These offences are homicide, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, GBH without intent and robbery.
	In 2008-09 the offence coverage was expanded to also include actual bodily harm (ABH), threats to kill, sexual assault and rape offences. Therefore figures for 2008-09 and 2009-10 are not comparable with those offences recorded in 2007-08.
	In 2008-09, Lancashire police recorded 849 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument. The corresponding figure for 2009-10 was 632 offences.
	2010-11 data will be published on 14 July 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 31 May 2011 with regard to Mrs H. Farhat.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 12 July 2011.

Raed Salah

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with (a) representatives of foreign governments and (b) groups or organisations in the UK on the (i) admittance to and (ii) presence in the UK of Raed Salah;
	(2)  what allegations against Raed Salah she (a) considered and (b) investigated in determining her policy on her exclusion and deportation from the UK; and which of these allegations she considered to be well-founded;
	(3)  for what reasons she made her determination that Raed Salah should be (a) excluded and (b) deported from the UK on the grounds that his presence was not conducive to the public good.

Damian Green: The Government do not routinely comment on individual exclusion cases but in this instance the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has considered it important to do so. Mr Salah has himself put details of his case into the public domain.
	Raed Salah was excluded from the UK on 23 June as a result of numerous statements he had made, details of which were obtained from a variety of sources. Exclusion and deportation decisions are confidential to the individual concerned, and operationally sensitive, and it is not our practice to consult widely in making the decision or to inform others in a way which may breach that confidentiality. Both decisions were based on an assessment of whether Mr Salah had expressed views which fell within the scope of the Government's published unacceptable behaviours policy.
	The Secretary of State concluded that Mr Salah had made a number of statements that were considered to be unacceptable behaviour.

Young Offenders

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed by juvenile offenders in York in each year since 2005.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is not possible to identify the age of alleged offenders from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Ministerial Meetings

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Chris Grayling: As has been the practice of previous administrations, information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Community Care Grants

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers in the Scottish Executive and (b) charities and non-governmental organisations on the replacement of community care grants and crisis loans with local welfare assistance.

Steve Webb: Ministers have had a number of meetings with Ministers in the Scottish Executive to discuss welfare reform including social fund reform. Since the formation of the current Scottish Government no such meetings have taken place. However my noble Friend the Lord Freud spoke with Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister of Scotland, on 16 June 2011, and it is expected that this call will be followed by further discussions.
	I held a roundtable event with a number of non-government organisations in March 2011, and departmental officials are continuing to meet with these organisations.
	Departmental officials are also working closely with their Scottish counterparts on their reform plans.

Habitual Residence

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, columns 192-3W, on habitual residence, whether a person entitled to a benefit must be present in the UK to receive it; what benefits are eligible to be paid to families and dependants not in the UK or persons who are working in the UK; and what the value is of such benefits.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The main purpose of child benefit and the child tax credit is to support families living in the United Kingdom. Consequently, the general rules for both benefits do not provide for them to be paid in respect of children who reside outside this country.
	However, both child benefit and the child tax credit are “family benefits” under the European Community (EC) social security co-ordinating regulations (EC Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009, previously EC Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72), which the United Kingdom has administered since it joined the European Economic Community in 1973. Under these EC regulations, nationals of other member states who are employed or self-employed in the United Kingdom and are paying compulsory national insurance contributions are entitled to claim child benefit and the child tax credit in respect of children resident in other member states. United Kingdom nationals who work and are compulsorily insured in another member state have reciprocal entitlement to family benefits in that other state by virtue of the same EC regulations.
	The value of family benefits paid by the United Kingdom under the EC regulations is only available at disproportionate costs. This is because not all such awards in respect of children resident in other member states are made at the full United Kingdom rate of benefit.

Hewlett Packard

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether he plans to conduct an assessment of the data security implications of the application by Hewlett Packard to move offshore the application maintenance and support elements of the Adams 2 contract that the company holds with his Department;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 603W, on Hewlett Packard, whether the number of jobs required by Hewlett Packard (HP) to deliver the application maintenance and support element of the Adams 2 contract from an offshore location will form part of the review of plans to increase the amount of work delivered by HP from non-UK locations; if he will commission from HP an impact assessment of its plans to transfer work on this contract to an offshore location; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 603W, on Hewlett Packard, whether data security will form part of the review of plans to increase the amount of work delivered by Hewlett Packard from non-UK locations in respect of the application maintenance and support element of the Adams 2 contract; and when he expects the review to be concluded.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently in discussion with HP regarding future Adams 2 plans. This review has not yet been concluded and specific proposals are not yet complete.
	All aspects of security, including access to any data that may be required, will be a part of this review. Proposed offshore activities need to gain formal approval against stringent DWP, CESG—the Information Assurance (IA) arm of GCHQ—and Cabinet Office requirements before being permitted.
	The review is expected to conclude towards the end of the year when any specific discussions required with HP will take place.
	The exact location and number of jobs needed by HP to deliver the required services and its impact on their staff in the UK is a matter for HP to determine.

Hewlett Packard

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 603W, on Hewlett Packard, when he last met representatives of Hewlett Packard to discuss the Adams 2 contract.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently in discussion with HP regarding future Adams 2 plans.
	This review has not yet been concluded and specific proposals are not yet complete. All aspects of security, including access to any data that may be required, will be a part of this review. Proposed offshore activities need to gain formal approval against stringent DWP, CESG—the Information Assurance (IA) arm of GCHQ and Cabinet Office requirements before being permitted.
	The review is expected to conclude towards the end of the year when any specific discussions required with HP will take place. I met with HP representatives last week
	The exact location and number of jobs needed by HP to deliver the required services and its impact on their staff in the UK is a matter for HP to determine.

Pensioners: Poverty

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the level of pensioner poverty in rural communities in each of the next four financial years.

Steve Webb: In recent years, the Department has not published assessments of future trends in pensioner poverty. Currently, macroeconomic uncertainty and the Department's significant programme of welfare and pension reform mean that it is not possible to produce any reliable estimate of future trends in pensioner poverty.
	Estimates of pensioner poverty are published in the Households Below Average Incomes series. The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those people with income below 60% of contemporary median household income, after housing costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.
	The latest data available from the Households Below Average Incomes for 2009-10, show that in England, after housing costs, the proportion of pensioners in relative poverty is 16% in rural areas compared to 16% in urban areas.
	For Wales, the latest data available from the Households Below Average Incomes for 2007-08 to 2009-10, show that, after housing costs, the proportion of pensioners in relative poverty is 17% in rural areas compared to 17% in urban areas.
	In England and Wales, the corresponding figures based on 2009-10 data are 16% in rural areas compared to 16% in urban areas.
	In Scotland, the corresponding figures based on 2007-08 to 2009-10 data are 14% in rural areas compared to 13% in urban areas.
	Notes
	1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2009-10 Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
	2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax, payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes.
	3. Figures have been presented on an after housing costs basis.
	4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.
	5. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year.
	6. Proportions of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.
	7. Three survey years have been combined for Scotland and Wales because single year estimates are not considered to be sufficiently reliable.
	8. Due to different definitions of rurality in Scotland compared to England and Wales, and the fact that no information is collected on the Family Resources Survey covering rurality in Northern Ireland, it has not been possible to present figures for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on methods of distribution of local welfare assistance in Scotland.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State and DWP Ministers have met with Scottish Ministers on a number of occasions to discuss a range of subjects including the introduction of a universal credit through a real time earnings system as per the Universal Credit White Paper and Welfare Reform Bill before parliament.

Spotlight on Kinship Care

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will review and respond to the recommendations of the report of Buttle UK and the University of Bristol entitled Spotlight on Kinship Care, published in April 2011.

Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Spotlight on Kinship Care study by the University of Bristol makes a very helpful contribution to our understanding about the numbers of informal family and friends carers and the circumstances in which they are living.
	Statutory guidance requires English local authorities with responsibility for children's services to publish, no later than 30 September 2011, a policy setting out their approach towards supporting the needs of children living with family and friends carers. The information in the Spotlight on Kinship Care report should aid local authorities in doing this and help ensure that the needs of kinship care families are addressed in local service delivery.

State Retirement Pensions: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in (a) the City of York local authority area and (b) York Central constituency were in receipt of (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit in (A) May 2010 and (B) the latest date for which figures are available; and what the average weekly value of pension credit received was in each case.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following tables.
	
		
			 Recipients of state pension and pension credit in the York central parliamentary constituency 
			 York parliamentary constituency State pension recipients Pension credit household recipients Average weekly amount of pension credit (£) 
			 May 2010 15,480 3,910 50.73 
			 November 2010 15,420 3,840 50.26 
		
	
	
		
			 Recipients of state pension and pension credit in the city of York local authority area 
			 York local authority State pension recipients Pension credit household recipients Average weekly amount of pension credit (£) 
			 May 2010 37,710 6,650 £49.80 
		
	
	
		
			 November 2010 37,800 6,540 £49.18 
			 Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data

Winter Fuel Payments: Carmarthenshire

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Carmarthenshire received winter fuel payments in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Steve Webb: The information for 2009-10 is available in the document Winter Fuel Payment (Number of Households) 2009-2010 by local authority and gender. This is available in the Commons Library and on the internet at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp
	Information for 2010-11 is not currently available.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport in the event that a 4G spectrum licence does not provide for a 99 per cent. population coverage obligation, what measures he plans to take to ensure that those consumers who cannot receive superfast broadband will be offered broadband by an alternate technology.

Edward Vaizey: The Government are committed to ensuring that the UK has the best superfast broadband network in Europe by stimulating private investment to ensure superfast broadband to 90% of all UK premises and standard broadband to virtually all communities by 2015.

Broadband: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers regarding the roll-out of superfast broadband in Scotland.

Edward Vaizey: I have had regular discussions with Scottish Government Ministers regarding the roll-out of superfast broadband in Scotland. The Government are supporting the Scottish Government to deliver superfast broadband to 90% of all premises in Scotland and standard broadband to virtually all communities by 2015. I have also had similar communications with Wales and Northern Ireland Ministers.

Broadband: YouView

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the introduction of YouView on demand for high speed broadband.

Edward Vaizey: No assessment has been made.

Mass Media: Privacy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received from the Information Commissioner on breaches of personal privacy by media groups.

Edward Vaizey: No representations have been received.

Royal Parks

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 888W, on the Royal Parks, what steps the Royal Parks take to support considerate cycling.

John Penrose: The Royal Parks has issued advice encouraging considerate cycling, including publishing a code of conduct. It has also held a series of free public cycling events across the estate to promote safe cycling. Over the past three years, the agency has improved and increased the amount of cycling routes, and now provides 27 miles of off road cycle routes, and 32 miles of park roads.

Tourism: VAT

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect on the (a) tourism, (b) heritage and (c) sporting industries of the increase in the rate of value added tax.

John Penrose: I regularly meet with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss a wide range of issues. However, VAT is a matter for Her Majesty's Treasury.

Video Games

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to support the computer games industry.

Edward Vaizey: The Plan for Growth, published with Budget 2011, outlined the Government's aim to create the right overall business environment to support the growth of UK companies, including video games businesses. The Plan for Growth also announced that industry will be establishing a Creative Industry Council. The Government are supportive of this step.
	The Council will look at barriers to growth for the sector, which may include access to finance, skills, export markets, intellectual property, innovation and infrastructure.
	In addition, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is also working with a number of other Government Departments to ensure their range of support for business, such as R and D tax credits and Government-backed funds, including the UK Innovation and Investment Fund and Enterprise Capital Funds, is accessible to the games industry.
	Specifically, the Government are giving £2.5 million of grant support to the University of Abertay to create a new games prototyping programme, including a UK-wide £2 million fund launched in July 2010. There are also discretionary grants from the Technology Strategy Board for collaborative R and D and feasibility studies. Following the publication of the NextGen review of the skills for the video games and visual effects industries, the Government are currently considering recommendations and DCMS will issue its formal response in the summer.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Bona Vacantia

Iain Wright: To ask the Attorney-General if he will consider bringing forward legislation which would allow the distribution of assets received as bona vacantia to (a) the location in which the deceased person lived and (b) wards in the top 10 per cent. of disadvantaged communities as set out in the Index of Multiple Deprivation; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	Surplus bona vacantia income available to the UK Government are passed to the Consolidated Fund to benefit the general Exchequer. It therefore indirectly benefits numerous organisations and locations. There are no plans to change the current system.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Attorney-General how many invoices received by the Law Officers' Departments have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value was of invoices paid late.

Edward Garnier: The latest available information is outlined in the following tables.
	
		
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department 
			 Month Number paid within 30 days Number paid over 30 days Value of invoices paid over 30 days 
			 May 2010 1,813 741 622,435 
			 June 2010 1,895 933 843,949 
			 July 2010 2,222 918 836,246 
			 August 2010 1,550 684 617,271 
			 September 2010 2,061 882 635,506 
			 October 2010 1,807 677 504,821 
			 November 2010 2,011 954 886,067 
			 December 2010 2,053 723 585,109 
			 January 2011 2,195 688 347,769 
			 January 2011 1,948 618 306,108 
			 March 2011 3,049 781 376,779 
			 April 2011 1,477 332 25,527 
		
	
	
		
			 Attorney-General's Office 
			 Month Number paid within 30 days Number paid over 30 days Value of invoices paid over 30 days 
			 May 2010 40 3 6,158 
			 June 2010 47 1 306 
			 July 2010 44 0 — 
			 August 2010 41 3 2,475 
			 September 2010 39 0 — 
			 October 2010 44 0 — 
			 November 2010 35 4 13,960 
			 December 2010 45 1 832 
			 January 2011 50 2 445 
			 January 2011 52 0 — 
			 March 2011 52 2 249 
			 April 2011, 30 0 —- 
		
	
	
		
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 
			 Month Number paid within 30 days Number paid over 30 days Value of invoices paid over 30 days 
			 May 2010 100 1 93 
			 June 2010 35 — — 
			 July 2010 169 4 5,527 
			 August 2010 84 2 155 
			 September 2010 78 2 1,888 
			 October 2010 66 2 2,445 
		
	
	
		
			 November 2010 56 3 1,442 
			 December 2010 145 9 861 
			 January 2011 59 11 3,865 
			 January 2011 129 6 3,542 
			 March 2011 95 4 793 
			 April 2011 78 7 45,785 
		
	
	
		
			 Crown Prosecution Service 
			 Month Number paid within 30 days Number paid over 30 days Value of invoices paid over 30 days 
			 May 2010 20,705 2,937 3,121,313 
			 June 2010 23,435 3,820 3,295,145 
			 July 2010 22,342 3,419 3,432,075 
			 August 2010 22,671 2,617 3,315,611 
			 September 2010 23,561 2,633 2,518,926 
			 October 2010 21,573 3,734 3,374,824 
			 November 2010 23,734 3,927 3,308,077 
			 December 2010 17,454 2,782 1,833,391 
			 January 2011 20,079 3,469 2,847,605 
			 January 2011 24,508 3,632 3,625,296 
			 March 2011 25,889 2,691 2,987,154 
			 April 2011 18,273 1,454 1,165,893 
		
	
	
		
			 Serious Fraud Office 
			 Month Number paid within 30 days Number paid over 30 days Value of invoices paid over 30 days 
			 May 2010 727 67 294,120 
			 June 2010 953 56 267,084 
			 July 2010 667 41 106,980 
			 August 2010 654 61 212,787 
			 September 2010 560 66 704,126 
			 October 2010 806 38 138,147 
			 November 2010 619 70 367,846 
			 December 2010 521 48 215,659 
			 January 2011 563 39 164,407 
			 January 2011 526 28 40,469 
			 March 2011 909 43 116,820 
			 April 2011 590 33 40,311

Freedom of Information Requests

Chris Ruane: To ask the Attorney-General how many requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Law Officers' Departments received from (a) hon. Members from each political party and (b) members of the public in each year since the Act's entry into force.

Edward Garnier: The number of requests received by the Law Officers' Departments from members of the public in each year since the Act's entry into force is available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/foi/implementation.htm
	These statistics cover the period from implementation to 31 March 2011. Statistics for the period from 1 April 2011 will be published in the quarterly statistics from the Ministry of Justice in due course.
	The Ministry of Justice figures do not cover the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. The number of requests received by them since 2006 are recorded in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of requests 
			 2006-07 13 
			 2007-08 6 
			 2008-09 2 
			 2009-10 10 
			 2010-11 8 
		
	
	None of the Law Officers' Departments collect statistics specifically about the background of individual requesters. This is because the Freedom of Information Act is applicant and motive blind and it is therefore not necessary to record or determine whether a requestor is a Member of Parliament or a member of the public.
	The Attorney-General's Office (AGO) has however identified some records about requests originating from MPs; but it should be noted that these figures may not represent all requests from MPs as we only record those that are clearly identified in our records as coming from an MP.
	
		
			 AGO-FOI requests from Members of Parliament by party (January 2006 to May 2011) 
			 Party 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Labour — — 1 — 9 0 
			 Conservative — 1 — — 1 — 
			 Lib Dem 1 4 — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 1 5 1 0 10 0

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ministerial Meetings

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations since 12 May 2010;
	(3)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of BSkyB since 12 May 2010;
	(4)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Bob Neill: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Departmental Dismissal

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in his Department were dismissed for under-performance as a result of the procedures arising from his Department's staff appraisal system in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has not dismissed any official for under-performance as a result of the procedures arising from the Department's appraisal system in each of the last three years.
	DCLG makes a distinction between under-performance and poor-performance. Under-performance occurs where the job holder contributes notably less than can be reasonable expected of the grade, while poor-performance is defined as a consistent or repeated failure by a member of staff to carry out effectively the requirement of their job.
	The Department has a procedure for maintaining satisfactory standards of performance comprising a number of warnings which could result in disciplinary action and ultimately lead to dismissal for poor-performance.

Enterprise Zones

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he will take into account (a) sub-regional unemployment figures, (b) levels of pay and (c) skill levels when considering applications for the next round of enterprise zones.

Greg Clark: holding answer 11 July 2011
	The Government will assess how proposed enterprise zones can best deliver local growth and jobs.
	As set out in the guidance published on 27 May 2011, the assessment of bids will focus on three criteria: the extent to which the bid will deliver growth; the value for the money of the bid; and if the plans for delivery are robust.

Fire Services: Finance

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change is in his Department's grant to each precepting fire and rescue authority between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Bob Neill: holding answer 11 July 2011
	Figures for year-on-year changes in Formula Grant in 2011-12 compared with adjusted 2010-11 figures, from which percentage changes can be obtained for single-tier fire and rescue authorities, are available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/1112chngs.xls
	Details of changes in the revenue spending power for all authorities including fire and rescue authorities from 2010-11 to 2011-12 are also available, at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/spannexas.xls

Health Inequalities

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the outcome of the Marmot Review into health inequalities in England; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not made an individual assessment of the outcome of the Marmot Review on health inequalities. We have worked closely with other Departments on the public health reforms and through the Public Health Sub-Committee to ensure a cross-government approach in addressing the social determinants of health inequalities. The public health consultation ran until 31 March 2011 and the Government will be responding in due course.

Homelessness

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of likely levels of homelessness in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: This Department has not made forecasts for future levels of homelessness.

Housing: Older People

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage and promote the provision of specialist homes for older people moving to reside in a smaller home who wish to remain homeowners. [R]

Andrew Stunell: Current national planning policy for housing makes clear that local planning authorities should carry out a strategic housing market assessment to provide information on the level of needs and demand for housing in their area. The housing requirements of older people should be included in these assessments. Based on the requirements identified, planning authorities should develop policies and implementation strategies to ensure that sufficient, suitable land is made available to achieve their housing objectives. Clear local housing policies can encourage developers to bring forward proposals for housing which reflect market demand and the needs of different households, including older households.
	The forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework consultation will cover all forms of development. This will include policy on planning for housing.

Local Government Finance

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its public bodies have spent on the firms (a) Poisson Rouge and (b) Red Fish Corporation in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and for what purpose in each case.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 361W.
	£3,417.71 was paid to Poisson Rouge, an events management company who arranged the venue and team building.
	The Department's finance system has made no records of other payments to (a)Poisson Rouge or (b) Red Fish Corporation in each of the last five years. Details of expenditure by the Department's public bodies are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Resources Review

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in his Department (a) are working on the local government resources review and (b) have been seconded to HM Treasury to work on the review.

Bob Neill: The work of the local government resource review has been taken forward by existing teams within the Department for Communities and Local Government, alongside their existing policy responsibilities. Taking account of support from legal and analyst colleagues, 14 officials have been involved in the substantive work of the review at various times. In addition, support has been provided by three additional members of staff, one of whom is employed by HM Treasury but who is co-located with this Department.

Local Government: Debts

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much interest on debt has been paid by each local authority in England in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of interest on debt that will be paid by each local authority in England in 2011-12.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table that gives information on interest payable and similar charges by each local authority in England for outturn 2009-10 and budget estimates for 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Local Government: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to local authorities regarding the promotion of local businesses and employment in their procurement policies.

Bob Neill: Procurement in local government is a matter for local discretion. My Department does not prescribe to local authorities how they should promote local businesses and employment in their procurement policies. Government are, though, committed to encouraging a more open and level playing field for small and medium enterprises to bid for contracts. In February, the Prime Minister launched a new, free-to-use online Contracts Finder portal and simplified pre-qualification questionnaire to make it easier and cheaper for small and medium enterprises to bid for public sector opportunities.
	DCLG has also recently consulted on new statutory guidance on Best Value (the consultation closed on 14 June). It makes clear that councils should seek to avoid making disproportionate reductions to small and medium enterprises and the voluntary and community sector.
	The new Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency will also ensure greater accountability and scrutiny on the awarding of contracts over £500.

Non-domestic Rates: Durham

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect on the revenues of Durham county council of localising business rates.

Bob Neill: No assessment has been made of the effect on the revenues of Durham county council of localising business rates. The Local Government Resource Review has been considering options to allow local authorities to keep at least a proportion of their business rates. The review will be publishing shortly its proposals for consultation.
	The Government have been clear that any proposals will ensure that all councils will have adequate resources to meet the needs of their local community. As the Deputy Prime Minister recently said to the Local Government Association's annual conference, no local authority will receive less funding when the new arrangements are introduced than they would have done under the previous funding system.

Recycling: Schools

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he issues to local authorities on the practice of charging schools for recycling.

Bob Neill: My Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities on the practice of charging schools for recycling.

Social Rented Housing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on new social housing for rent in (a) the City of York and (b) England in each year since 2005; and how much it expects to spend for such purposes in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Andrew Stunell: The following table shows the grant funding through the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Housing Programme, Local Authority New Build Programme and Kickstart programme for social rent in each financial year in the City of York local authority area and in England. This includes both new build and acquisition and refurbishment.
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Period City of York England 
			 2005-06 0.87 933 
			 2006-07 0.83 1,433 
			 2007-08 2.44 1,552 
			 2008-09 6.36 2,038 
			 2009-10 1.41 2,992 
			 2010-11 3.58 2,110 
			 Source: Homes and Communities Agency 
		
	
	We are investing nearly £4.5 billion to help deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes for Affordable Rent and Affordable Home Ownership in England from 2011-12 to 2014-15. Figures for individual authorities are not yet available.

EDUCATION

Business Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many regulations that impose costs on businesses his Department has (a) introduced and (b) removed since 1 September 2010; what the net effect on the costs on businesses of such introductions and removals was; and what regulations have been excluded from the one-in one-out system because they address (i) emergencies and (ii) systemic financial risks since 1 September 2010.

Tim Loughton: In the period between 1 September 2010 and 12 July 2011, the Department for Education made five statutory instruments which imposed costs on business. In the case of these five statutory instruments, impact assessments were carried out which identified the likely costs implications associated with their implementation. These impact assessments can be viewed using the links provided.
	The Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2010/9780111503850/pdfs/ukdsiem_9780111503850_en.pdf
	Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children's Homes etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2011:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/553/pdfs/uksiem_20110553_en.pdf
	The School Finance (England) Regulations 2011:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/371/pdfs/uksiem_20110371_en.pdf
	The Visits to Former Looked After Children in Detention (England) Regulations 2010:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2797/pdfs/uksiem _20102797_en.pdf
	The Childcare (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2010:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/307/pdfs/uksiem _20100307_en.pdf
	None of the statutory instruments which were revoked by the Department between 1 September 2010 and 12 July 2011 imposed any costs on business.
	The one-in, one-out regulatory management system, although announced in September 2010, did not come into force until January 2011. A list of regulatory measures introduced or removed in the first half of 2011 can be found in the Statement of New Regulation in the Libraries of the House.
	None of the statutory instruments which have been made or revoked by the Department since January 2011 has been excluded from the one-in, one-out regulatory management system on the basis that they either addressed (i) emergencies, or (ii) systemic financial risks.

CABINET OFFICE

Ministerial Meetings

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011;

Francis Maude: As has been the practice of previous administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House of 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department offers to Government Departments on the promotion of local businesses and employment in their procurement policies.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 27 June 2011, Official  Report, column 629W. Contracting authorities are required to treat suppliers from across the UK and from the EU and various other countries on an equal footing.
	Authorities cannot prescribe the deployment of local labour, although clearly for some types of contract, such as those requiring face-to-face services, locally-based labour is more likely.

New Businesses: Romsey

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many business start-ups there have been in Romsey and Southampton North constituency since 22 June 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many business start-ups there have been in Romsey and Southampton North constituency since 22 June 2010.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, unfortunately these statistics are not available for 2010. The latest data for business births are for 2009.

Pay: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average weekly gross earnings of full-time (a) men, (b) women and (c) people in York were in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May of each subsequent year (A) in cash terms and (B) at constant prices.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average weekly gross earnings of full-time (a) men, (b) women and (c) people in York were in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May of each subsequent year (A) in cash terms and (B) at constant prices. (65675)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	The following tables show the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in York in April each year from 1997 to 2010 and also these estimates expressed in 2010 prices by using the Retail Price Index as a price deflator.
	
		
			 Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employee jobs (1)  in York in April for years 1997 to 2010 
			 £ 
			  Full-time 
			  Men Women All 
			 1997 *363 *235 *297 
			 1998 *372 *250 323 
			 1999 *382 *267 *340 
			 2000 *403 *286 368 
			 2001 *402 *303 372 
			 2002 448 *306 *400 
			 2003 *446 *335 405 
			 2004 *460 *342 *419 
			 2005 *454 *356 414 
			 2006 481 *391 451 
			 2007 *500 *393 *462 
			 2008 *483 **398 *462 
			 2009 *527 *400 *476 
			 2010 *505 *447 *479 
		
	
	
		
			 Full-time earnings at 2010 prices (2) 
			 £ 
			  Men Women All 
			 1997 518 335 424 
			 1998 510 342 442 
			 1999 516 360 458 
			 2000 528 375 482 
			 2001 517 391 479 
			 2002 568 388 507 
			 2003 548 412 497 
			 2004 552 411 503 
			 2005 527 414 482 
			 2006 545 443 511 
			 2007 542 426 501 
			 2008 503 415 481 
			 2009 555 421 501 
			 2010 505 447 479 
			 (1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (2) Estimates of earnings at 2010 prices have been derived using the Retail Prices Index as the price deflator. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: CV<=5% * CV >5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <=20% CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics

TREASURY

Ministerial Meetings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations, including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Justine Greening: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Redundancy

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010.

Justine Greening: The details requested can be found in HM Treasury's 2010-11 annual report and accounts, chapter 9, remuneration report, HC984.

Business Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations that impose costs on businesses his Department (a) introduced and (b) removed in the six months prior to 1 September 2010; and what the net effect on the costs on businesses of such introductions and removals was.

Justine Greening: In the six months prior to 1 September 2010, the Treasury introduced one regulation which imposed costs on business: The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010. The average costs to business were estimated to be £26 million a year over six years, with direct benefits of between zero and £26 million a year to heavily indebted poor countries.
	In the six months prior to 1 September 2010, the Treasury did not revoke any regulations that imposed costs on business.

Business Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations his Department has introduced (a) in the six months prior to 1 September 2010 and (b) in the six months after 1 September 2010 which it has determined do not impose costs on businesses.

Justine Greening: In the six months (a) prior to and (b) after 1 September 2010 the Treasury has introduced the following statutory instruments which do not impose costs on business:
	(a) Introduced before 1 September 2010:
	
		
			 Statutory instrument number Title Date made 
			 2010/2220 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Contribution to Costs of Special Resolution Regime) Regulations 2010 7 September 2010 
			 2010/1880 The International Monetary Fund (Limit on Lending) Order 2010. This Order is not regulatory. 21 July 2010 
			 2010/1197 The Al-Qaida and Taliban (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2010 7 April 2010 
		
	
	(b) Introduced after 1 September 2010:
	
		
			 Statutory instrument number Title Date made 
			 2011/548 The Libya (Financial Sanctions) Order 28 February 2011 
			 2010/2937 The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2010 9 December 2010 
			 2010/2956 The Somalia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2010 13 December 2010 
			 2010/2613 The Iran (European Community Financial Sanctions)(Amendment) Regulations 2010 27 October 2010 
			 2010/2628 The Capital Requirements (Amendment) Regulations 2010 28 October 2010 
			 2010/3023 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Administration Orders Relating to Insurers) Order 2010 18 December 2010 
			 2011/239 The Investment Bank (Amendment of Definition) Order 2011 7 February 2011 
			 2011/245 The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 7 February 2011 
			 2010/2578 (S.5) The Bank Administration (Scotland) (Amendment) Rules 2010 21 October 2010 
			 2010/2583 The Bank Administration (England and Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2010 20 October 2010 
			 2010/2586 The Bank Insolvency (Scotland) (Amendment) Rules 2010 (S.7) 21 October 2010 
			 2010/2579 The Bank Insolvency (England and Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2010 20 October 2010 
			 2010/2854 (S.6) The Building Society Insolvency (Scotland) Rules 2010 21 October 2010 
			 2010/2581 The Building Society Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2010 20 October 2010 
			 2010/2580 The Building Society Special Administration (England and Wales) Rules 20 October 2010 
			 2011/133 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2011 25 January 2011 
			 2010/2479 The Premium Savings Bonds (Amendment etc) Regulations 2010 11 October 2010

Business Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations that impose costs on businesses his Department has (a) introduced and (b) removed since 1 September 2010; what the net effect on the costs on businesses of such introductions and removals was; and what regulations have been excluded from the one, in one out system because they address (i) emergencies and (ii) systemic financial risks since 1 September 2010.

Justine Greening: Since 1 September 2010, the Treasury has (a) introduced and (b) revoked the following regulations which impose costs on business:
	
		
			 (a) Introduced 
			 SI number Name of regulation introduced Costs/benefits 
			 No. 2010/2993 The Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality and Financial Collateral Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2010: EU directive not in scope of One In One Out £0.5 million transitional costs, estimated £15 billion benefits, based on EU Commission Impact Assessment. Equivalent annual net benefit to business > £1 billion 
			    
			 No. 2011/99 The Electronic Money Regulations 2011: EU directive, not in scope of One In One Out £1 million transitional costs, £7 million transitional benefits. £0.7 million Equivalent Annual Net benefit to business over 10 years 
			  The Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act 2010 The costs imposed by this Act replicate the costs removed by the revocation of SIs 2001/3365, 2203/1297, 2005/1525, 2006/2657, 2009/1747, 2009/1911 so there was no net effect on business 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Revoked 
			 Statutory instrument number Name of regulation revoked Costs/savings 
			 No. 2011/883 The Friendly Societies (Proxy Voting) Regulations 1993 Savings of £10.2 million per year in conjunction with the Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 The Friendly Societies (Proxy Voting) Regulations 2011 revoked The Friendly Societies (Proxy Voting) Regulations 1993 (as of 1 October 2011), but all the provisions in the 1993 regulations were included with amendments to allow electronic communications 
			    
			 (S.I. 2001/3365) Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
			    
			 (S.I.2003/1297) Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
			    
			 (S.I. 2005/1525) Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001(Amendment) Regulations 2005 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
			    
			 (S.I. 2006/2657) Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
			    
			 (S.I. 2009/1747) Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
			    
			 (S.I. 2009/1911) Financial Restrictions Proceedings (UN Terrorism Orders) Order 2009 The costs removed by this revocation were replaced by the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010 
		
	
	(i) Since 1 September 2010, my Department has introduced the following regulation which was excluded from the one in, one out system because it was an emergency:
	
		
			  Name of regulation Cost s/benefits 
			 2011/548 The Libya (Financial Sanctions) Order Minimal costs on business 
		
	
	A number of asset freezing regulations introduced dealt with emergency situations; however these were exempt from the one in, one out system because they were EU related measures.
	(ii) Since 1 September 2010, my Department has introduced the following Statutory Instruments which have been excluded from the one, in one out system because they address systemic financial risk.
	
		
			 Systemic financial risk 
			 SI number Name of regulation Costs/benefits 
			 2010/3023 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Administration Orders Relating to Insurers) Order 2010 No net cost to business 
			 2011/239 The Investment Bank (Amendment of Definition) Order 2011 No net cost to business 
		
	
	
		
			    
			 2011/245 The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2220 The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Contribution to Costs of Special Resolution Regime) Regulations 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2578 (S.5) The Bank Administration (Scotland) (Amendment) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2583 The Bank Administration (England and Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2586 (S.7) The Bank Insolvency (Scotland) (Amendment) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2579 The Bank Insolvency (England and Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2854 (S.6) The Building Society Insolvency (Scotland) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2581 The Building Society Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2580 The Building Society Special Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2011/1301 The Investment Bank Special Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2011 No net cost to business 
			    
			 2010/2628 The Capital Requirements (Amendment) Regulations 2010 No net cost to business 
			    
			 No. 2010/2993 The Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality and Financial Collateral Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 £0.5 million transitional costs, estimated £15 billion benefits, based on EU Commission Impact Assessment. Equivalent annual net benefit to business > £1 billion

Departmental Visits Abroad

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2011 Official Report, columns 1241-2W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow North (Ann McKechin), on Bilderberg Group, when he will post on his departmental website data of expenditure on official overseas visits up to the end of June 2011.

Justine Greening: The Department has committed to publish details of all Ministers, meetings, hospitality and overseas travel. This is in accordance with the Government's transparency agenda.
	Details of the costs of overseas travel are published quarterly on the Treasury website on the following page:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
	It is expected that the quarter covering 1 January to 31 March will be published shortly. The quarter covering 1 April to 31 June will be published in due course.

Energy: Prices

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will use the increased revenue to the Exchequer resulting from energy suppliers' recent increases in prices to support measures to reduce fuel poverty.

Justine Greening: The Government are committed to addressing fuel poverty, notably by introducing the Warm Home Discount to assist more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills and introducing the Green Deal from 2012 so that households and businesses can improve their energy efficiency at no upfront cost, repaying through their savings on energy bills.

Financial Services: Taxation

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to discuss the proposal for a financial activities tax with his (a) EU and (b) other international counterparts.

Mark Hoban: To inform further discussions of financial sector taxation, ECOFIN asked the European Commission to prepare an impact assessment on financial sector taxation, including financial activities taxes. The Commission has now stated that it plans to publish this impact assessment alongside proposals on financial sector taxation in the autumn.

Bona Vacantia

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of assets which passed to the Crown as bona vacantia in each of the last five years.

Justine Greening: The value of the assets transferred to the Crown as bona vacantia for each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  Value (£ million) 
			 2010-11 25 
			 2009-10 40 
			 2008-09 18 
			 2007-08 30 
			 2006-07 (1)37 
			 (1) Which included a payment of £30 million to reduce a surplus balance. 
		
	
	These figures are published annually in the Crown Nominee Accounts.

Liverpool Cruise Terminal

John Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) representatives of Peel Holdings on the future operational role and functions of the Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with other Departments and a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions. Department for Transport (DFT) launched a consultation on 7 July 2011 on the City of Liverpool cruise terminal and the proposal to withdraw DFT's objection to the removal of a grant condition which precludes its use for turnaround cruise operations.

Loans: Belarus

Gary Streeter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that the UK will not support an IMF loan to Belarus unless there is conditionality in respect of improvements in human rights and the release of political prisoners.

Mark Hoban: We will assess Belarus’s request for assistance from the IMF on its merits, taking account in particular whether Belarus will implement serious and far reaching reform. The latest IMF press release can be found at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2011/pr11229.htm

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters of 9 May and 8 June 2011 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding a constituent, Mr Roy Jennings.

Mark Hoban: I wrote to all hon. Members on the 16 May and again on 30 June to set out the Government's position on Equitable Life. These letters were also the Treasury's response to outstanding correspondence that hon. Members may have raised regarding Equitable Life. For convenience my officials have resent the letters to my hon. Friend.

National Insurance: Income Tax

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the role of the contributory system in his proposed review of taxation and national insurance.

David Gauke: The Government will maintain the contributory principle which underpins the national insurance system, and will ensure that this is reflected in any proposed reforms. The Chancellor set this policy out in his speech at Budget 2011. It was confirmed in the document ‘Integrating the operation of income tax and National Insurance contributions: A call for evidence’, which was published on the Treasury website on 11 July:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_income_tax_national _insurance_contributions.htm
	The call for evidence will inform the Government's proposals for reform, on which they will consult in the autumn.

Public Sector: Pensions

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the current (a) average employee contribution, (b) average employer contribution and (c) retirement age is in the pension schemes for (i) teaching, (ii) NHS, (iii) civil service, (iv) warranted police, (v) fire service, (vi) armed forces and (vii) local government;
	(2)  what changes are proposed to the (a) average employee contribution, (b) average employer contribution and (c) retirement age in the pension schemes for (i) teaching, (ii) NHS, (iii) civil service, (iv) warranted police, (v) fire service, (vi) armed forces and (vii) local government.

Danny Alexander: The current average employee contribution and employer contribution for the main public service schemes are set out in Table 3G of the final report of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC) chaired by former Labour Minister Lord Hutton of Furness. The average retirement age in the main public service schemes are presented in column 3 of Table B1 of the IPSPC's interim report.
	Spending review 2010 announced that the Government would make progressive changes to employee contributions saving £2.8 billion pa by 2014-15 and that the armed forces will be exempted from these changes. This will result in an average increase of 3.2pp across the other public service schemes. The design and distribution of this increase is being considered in discussion with trade unions and other stakeholders.
	On retirement ages, one of Lord Hutton's recommendations was that the normal pension age for public servants, except for the police, firefighters and armed forces, should be linked to the state pension age. At Budget 2011 the Government accepted all of Lord Hutton's recommendations as basis for consultation with trades unions and other stakeholders.

Rescue Services: Diesel Fuel

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to permit mountain rescue teams to use red diesel in rescue vehicles.

Justine Greening: Red diesel is a duty rebated fuel for exclusive use away from public roads. It would be difficult to make a clear distinction between vehicles used by mountain rescue teams and privately owned vehicles and would risk undermining fuel duty anti-evasion efforts.
	However, discussions are continuing on determining a suitable grant system for distributing funds to support the purchase of mountain rescue equipment and an announcement will be made in due course.

Aviation: Pollution Control

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2011, Official Report, column 904W, on aviation: pollution control, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to create incentives for the aviation industry to reduce aircraft noise.

Justine Greening: Noise levels from aircraft in the UK are an important issue that can best be addressed through regulatory means. Aircraft noise certification levels are set internationally by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Government are pushing for these levels to be tightened for new aircraft types.
	The Government published a scoping document in March 2011 seeking views on a range of strategic issues, including noise. The responses to the scoping document will inform the development of a sustainable framework for UK aviation which will be published for consultation in March 2012.

Welfare Tax Credits

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was, in real terms, of replacing (a) family credit with working families tax credit, and (b) working families tax credit with (i) child tax credit and (ii) working tax credit.

David Gauke: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Welsh Assembly Government: Borrowing

Paul Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to meet the First Minister of Wales to discuss the granting of borrowing powers to the Welsh Government.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers meet with Ministers of the devolved Administrations from time to time to discuss various issues.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Ministerial Meetings

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department have attended since his appointment which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB;
	(2)  what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 13 July 2011
	As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussions and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-14.

Carbon Emissions

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what action he is taking to reduce carbon emissions.

Gregory Barker: The Prime Minister pledged to make this the greenest Government ever and recently announced that carbon emissions from Government HQs and offices have been cut by nearly 14% in just one year. Following this, he committed the Government to go further by reducing emissions by 25% by 2015. We are also supporting greater energy efficiency across the economy by introducing the Green Deal, leading technological development with support for the world's first commercial scale CCS demonstration, and rolling-out smart meters and a smart grid will build on this progress. Moreover, on 12 July 2011 the Government published ‘Planning our electric future: a White Paper for secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity’. The White Paper sets out key reforms to the electricity market to attract investment, reduce the impact on consumer bills, and create a secure mix of low-carbon electricity sources including renewables, new nuclear and carbon capture and storage.
	Emissions projections, published in May 2011, show that the UK is on track, on central forecasts, to meet our first three carbon budgets and our 2020 target to reduce emissions by at least 34% against the 1990 baseline. Emissions have already been reduced by over 26%, taking into account the effects of emissions trading.
	We also recently set in legislation the level of the fourth carbon budget for the 2023–27 period which equates to a 50% reduction in emissions. This autumn Government will be publishing a comprehensive strategy which will set out how the fourth carbon budget might be met, pathways to our 2050 target as well as a live Carbon Plan which will set out shorter-term actions the Government commits to undertake, and key milestones to keep us on track to delivering our ambitious climate change goals.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from his Department in (a) June 2010 and (b) June 2011.

Gregory Barker: The carbon dioxide emissions from DECC's estate were 93.75 tonnes in June 2010, and 76.87 tonnes in June 2011.

Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the (a) current and (b) future costs to (i) individual energy consumers and (ii) the public purse of onshore wind.

Charles Hendry: Renewables Obligation (RO) support has been classified as “tax and spend” by the Office for National Statistics.
	Onshore wind stations were issued with 7,237,999 Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) in 2009-10, according to Ofgem's latest RO annual report. At a ROC value for that year of £52.36, this implies a nominal terms onshore wind cost to consumers of around £380 million under the RO in 2009-10.
	The UK Renewable Energy Roadmap 2011 suggests a central range of 24-32TWh/y of onshore wind generation in 2020. This would cost around £l-1.3 billion in RO support in 2010-11 prices.

Energy: Prices

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to increase awareness of social tariffs offered by energy companies.

Gregory Barker: Energy suppliers are now required by law to provide support with energy costs to more of their most low income and vulnerable consumers through the Warm Home Discount scheme. Over the next four years they will provide support worth up to £1.1 billion.
	Under arrangements designed to provide a smooth transition from the previous voluntary agreement, which ended in March 2011, suppliers are able to continue offering social and discounted tariffs as part of the Warm Home Discount scheme. How these tariffs are made available to vulnerable consumers is a matter for the energy suppliers and will be monitored by Ofgem.
	The majority of the new support available this year will be in the form of rebates to a core group of older poor pensioners—who will be identified to energy suppliers by Government through a data matching and sweep-up process using benefit information. We estimate (based on current casework figures) that about 600,000 of these pensioners will receive a rebate worth £120 in winter 2011-12.

Energy: Prices

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to mitigate the impact on consumers of energy price rises.

Charles Hendry: Consumers deserve the best possible deal, which means strong competition in the marketplace. We are taking a range of actions to boost competition and help consumers control their costs, including:
	1. Requiring better information on bills to facilitate switching between suppliers.
	2. Introducing the Warm Home Discount scheme to help tackle fuel poverty.
	3. Extending the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme, which obligates energy suppliers to help households install energy efficiency measures.
	4. Introducing the Green Deal to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock.
	5. Cutting red tape for smaller suppliers.
	In addition, Ofgem is tackling other barriers to effective competition and consumer engagement (such as tariff complexity and low wholesale market liquidity) in its Retail Market Review. While greater competition should put pressure on prices consumers should also regularly evaluate the best deal on the market.

Fuel Poverty

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the impact of projected changes in energy prices for domestic (a) gas and (b) electricity on the level of fuel poverty in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK.

Gregory Barker: No formal assessments of the effects of recent changes in domestic energy prices on fuel poverty levels have yet been undertaken at UK level.
	The recent changes in domestic energy prices on fuel poverty will lead to upward pressure on fuel poverty in 2011 and 2012. Nevertheless, the true effect will only be known when we have full information on price changes from all suppliers and the 2011 English Housing Survey (EHS) and other housing surveys in each of the devolved Administrations. These housing surveys provide vital information for calculating the level of fuel poverty, including the mix of domestic fuels used by households, the income of those living in the households and the energy efficiency of the housing stock.
	However, an assessment of the likely impact of all changes for England will be made today when DECC will publish 2011 projections of fuel poverty for England.

Fuel Poverty

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the effects of his Department's policies on the level of fuel poverty in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK in (i) each of the next four financial years, (ii) by 2020 and (iii) by 2030.

Gregory Barker: The annual report on fuel poverty statistics, published today, shows that in 2009 there were around 5.5 million fuel poor households in the UK. The Department does not calculate projected figures for the UK.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved issue. Scotland publishes its own report on their national level of fuel poverty. The latest report was published in November 2010 and relates to fuel poverty in 2009. The report is available at:
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/11/23125350/0
	The Scottish Government also publish fuel poverty figures at a local authority level, which are available at:
	http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/SHCS/LA0709

Heat

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in his Department's internal strategic analysis on the future supply of heat in the UK.

Gregory Barker: DECC's internal strategic analysis on heat supply continues and will inform the Government's response to the Committee on Climate Change's Fourth Carbon Budget report in the autumn.

Smart Meters

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to allow people to opt-out of the national roll-out of smart meters on health grounds.

Charles Hendry: The Government recognise that there may be a small proportion of customers who have concerns of one kind or another about receiving a smart meter. These may include people with concerns about electromagnetic sensitivity. During the coming months, we will be doing further work to make sure we fully understand the concerns individuals may have and how the programme can best respond to them.
	We estimate that over the next 20 years, the roll-out of smart meters will deliver £7.3 billion net benefits to consumers, energy suppliers and networks. A large proportion of the benefits of smart metering are underpinned by the ability to access the meter remotely and to provide customers with real time data on their gas and electricity consumption.

Smart Meters

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of radiofrequency signals emitted by smart meters on the health of householders.

Charles Hendry: At this stage communications technology solutions have not been selected for the smart metering system. Both wired and wireless technologies exist that could be used, and for practical and technical reasons, both will need to be utilised by installers during the rollout.
	Where wireless technologies are used they will have to comply with relevant regulations, best practice and international standards as set out by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Compliance with these standards will be a requirement for the smart metering equipment. Suppliers will have a licence obligation to install smart metering equipment that meets the requirements.
	The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is responsible for providing advice on standards of protection for exposure to non-ionising radiation, including the radio frequency electromagnetic fields (radio waves) associated with smart metering technologies. The programme will continue to engage with the Department of Health, HPA and our full range of other stakeholders on all relevant practical issues as work progresses on communications for smart metering.
	We estimate that over the next 20 years, the rollout of smart meters will deliver £7.3 billion net benefits to consumers, energy suppliers and networks. A large proportion of the benefits of smart metering are underpinned by the ability to access the meter remotely and to provide customers with real time data on their gas and electricity consumption.

North Sea Oil: Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that the regulatory regime applying to safety representatives on offshore oil and gas installations in the North Sea is included in the scope of the current review of the UK oil and gas safety regime.

Charles Hendry: The Panel established earlier this year to review the UK's regime for regulating the upstream oil and gas sector has been gathering views and evidence from a range of stakeholders including the relevant trade unions. I can confirm that the role of safety representatives is being considered as part of the review, the findings of which will be published later this year.

Energy Security

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of levels of future changes in levels of oil production on the security of UK energy supplies.

Charles Hendry: The security of the UK's energy supplies is assessed annually in the statutory Security of Supply Report, produced jointly by DECC and Ofgem, and available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/en_security/sec_supply_rep/sec_supply_rep.aspx
	Total UK oil production peaked in 1999 and has since declined by around half. But the security of UK energy supplies depends more on global oil markets than UK oil production.
	The UK looks at a variety of sources to assess the security of global oil supplies in the future, including the International Energy Agency, industry and other research organisations. These conclude that in the longer term conventional oil production is unlikely to grow as it has in the past, so there is a risk of significant rises in oil prices and volatility that needs to be tackled.
	The Government are taking a number of actions to promote secure oil supplies, including working through international partners such as the International Energy Forum (IEF) and G20 to reduce oil demand, improve the functioning of the global oil market, and enhance transparency in physical and financial oil markets.

Solar Power: Housing

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1375W, on solar power: housing, whether he has (a) met and (b) corresponded with representatives of the solar photovoltaic sector on the subject of (i) regulations for and (ii) the implementation by local authorities of planning regulations for the installation of solar photovoltaics on domestic properties.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers meet regularly with industry representatives to discuss a range of issues. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to reveal details of such meetings.

Tidal Power: Manpower

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of people to be employed by the wave and tidal energy sector in (a) 2020, (b) 2030, (c) 2040 and (d) 2050.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not made any independent assessment of the potential number of people that could be employed by the wave and tidal sector up to 2050. However, RenewableUK state in their 2010 report “Channelling the Energy—A Way Forward for the UK Wave and Tidal Industry Towards 2020” that the potential numbers of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff working directly in the marine energy industry could be:
	
		
			  Number of individuals directly employed 
			 2020 10,000 
			 2035 19,500 
			 2050 19,000 
		
	
	There would also be a substantial number of additional induced jobs in the wider economy supplying the wave and tidal sector.

Wind Power

Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the efficiency of onshore wind turbines; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Onshore wind is a cost effective source of renewable energy despite its intermittency and load factors which averaged 21.5% in 2010.

Wind Power

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to invest in offshore wind off the coast of Suffolk.

Charles Hendry: Government are working to support the deployment of offshore wind and attract turbine manufacturers to the UK. It is for manufacturers, not Government, to decide where the best locations are from a business perspective. The Government's focus is on ensuring that investors have confidence in the development of the UK market more widely. As part of this work, the Renewables Roadmap published this week shows that a central scenario of up to 18 GW of UK offshore wind deployment is possible by 2020. The Electricity Market Reform White Paper published on 12 July also set out the long-term framework needed to give investors confidence.
	The Renewables Obligation (RO) is currently the Government's main financial mechanism for incentivising the deployment of large-scale renewable technologies, including offshore wind. New offshore windfarms are currently awarded two Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) per MWh.
	The Renewables Roadmap announced up to £30 million, subject to value-for-money assessment, to support innovation in the production of offshore wind components over the next four years.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Entrepreneurs

James Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage entrepreneurship among young people.

David Willetts: We want every young person to have hands-on experience of enterprise in school, college and university. That is why we are supporting the development of student enterprise societies in every university by 2015.
	In particular we want stronger links between universities and business. I have asked Professor Sir Tim Wilson to undertake a review into how we make our country the best place in the world for university-industry collaboration. We want to reverse the decline in sandwich courses inherited from the previous Government.

Inward Investment

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on increasing levels of inward investment; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: As reported in the written ministerial statement of 11 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1-2WS, the UK recorded a strong inward investment performance in 2010/11, attracting 1,434 projects one of the highest project figures ever.
	These inward investments created and safeguarded an estimated 94,598 jobs, slightly up from previous year.

Space Sector

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the state of the space sector; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The space sector has been growing at some 8% a year, even during the recession. That is why we made it a priority in the growth review. We are working with industry to finance the national space technology programme and to accelerate the development of the International Space Innovation Centre.
	Only last week Surrey Satellites, with active Government support, secured a £110 million contract to provide data and services from three satellites to China.

Apprenticeships

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) London and (c) England have started an apprenticeship in 2011.

Vincent Cable: In the first three-quarters of this academic year there have been 420 apprenticeships started in the Enfield North constituency; 28,120 apprenticeships started in London; and 326,700 apprenticeships started in England. Overall, this is 114,000 more than last year—over a 50% increase. By the end of this spending review there will be funding for 250,000 more adult apprenticeships than were planned by the previous Government.

Apprenticeships

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship starts there were in the first nine months of the 2010-11 academic year in (a) England and Wales and (b) in Nuneaton constituency.

David Willetts: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in England and Nuneaton parliamentary constituency in the first nine months of the 2010/11 academic year, from August 2010 to April 2011, based on provisional data.
	Figures for apprenticeship starts in Wales in 2010/11 are not currently available—they will be published in November 2011 by the Welsh Government.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in England and Nuneaton constituency, between 1 August 2010 and 30 April 2011 (provisional) 
			  Number 
			 Nuneaton constituency 560 
			 England 326,700 
			 Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprenticeships

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to take on apprentices.

David Willetts: Apprenticeships provide substantial economic benefit both to employers and to their workers. It is therefore crucial that smaller employers, who form the backbone of our economy, have the opportunity to reap the benefits that apprenticeships offer. We are working to ensure that the process all employers go through to recruit an apprentice is as straightforward as possible. This includes creating a new on-line toolkit, taking employers through the ‘end to end' journey from initial interest to actual recruitment, and developing new delivery standards enabling employers to fully understand the level of service they can expect from the National Apprenticeship Service and the apprenticeship provider.
	We are also working with employer representative bodies (such as the Federation of Small Business and the British Chamber of Commerce) as well as employers from small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to identify the barriers these firms may face in recruiting an apprentice. We will come forward in the autumn with proposals to facilitate greater SME engagement with apprenticeships.

Microbusiness

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he taking to support the growth of microbusinesses.

Mark Prisk: In addition to cutting small firms corporation tax rates and extending tax relief we are modernising business information online cutting red tape and have a national network of business mentors to help small firms grow.

Apprentices: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeship vacancies advertised by the National Apprenticeship Service in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) Greater London in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Willetts: Apprenticeship vacancies (on line system) data show that for the academic year 2010/11 employers posted 66,560 apprenticeship vacancies in England between 1 August 2010 and 30 June 2011. Information on the number of vacancies posted at parliamentary constituency and Government office region levels of geography is not available. Apprenticeship vacancies are available to candidates based across England.
	Apprenticeship vacancy reports are updated on a monthly basis and published by National Apprenticeship Service on the fourth day of each calendar month at the following link:
	http://mireportslibrary.thedataservice.org.uk/apprenticeships/apprenticeship_vacancy_reports/
	Apprenticeship places are secured through a range of sources. The latest available data for academic year 2010/11 show there were a total of 326,700(1) apprenticeship starts between August 2010 and April 2011 (provisional) in England.
	(1) Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Kettering

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in (a) Kettering, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England have started an apprenticeship in 2011.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows a quarterly breakdown of apprenticeship starts in Kettering parliamentary constituency, Northamptonshire local education authority and England in the first nine months of the 2010/11 academic year, from August 2010 to April 2011, based on provisional data.
	Figures relating to the calendar year are not available, however quarterly provisional totals for each of the last three quarters are shown for reference.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship starts Kettering, Northamptonshire local education authority and England, between August 1 2010 and 30 April 2011 (provisional) 
			  August 2010 to October 2010 (1) November 2010 to January 2011 (1) February 2011 to April 2011 (1) August 2010 to April 2011 (1) 
			 Kettering constituency 240 190 190 620 
			 Northamptonshire local education authority 1,570 1,160 1,370 4,090 
		
	
	
		
			 England 122,200 93,900 110,600 326,700 
			 (1) Provisional. Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 except England total which is rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23rd June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Copyright: Broadcasting

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on the World Intellectual Property Organisation's Broadcasting Treaty negotiations.

Edward Davey: holding answer 12 July 2011
	International protection of broadcasters' rights is out of date. In particular, piracy of broadcasts on the internet is a border-crossing phenomenon requiring international action. The UK therefore strongly supports proposals to update the protection of broadcasters at a global level through a treaty at World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), including providing broadcasters with an exclusive right to authorise re-transmission over the internet.

Employment: Young People

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase employment opportunities for young people.

David Willetts: The Government are creating the conditions for sustainable private sector growth, upon which the creation of new jobs for both young and older adults depends.
	We are expanding the apprenticeships programme and will fund up to 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years compared to the previous Government's plans. We are also introducing a new Access to Apprenticeships pathway for 16 to 24-year-olds that will benefit up to 10,000 vulnerable young people who need extra help to become an apprentice.
	In addition, we will help young people into work through pre-employment training for those on active benefits, work experience opportunities and continuation of the graduate talent pool. The Government's new Work programme was recently launched and will provide those young people who are unemployed for longer with personalised support and training to help them into sustainable employment.

High Street Review

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what definition of high street is being used for the review on the future of the high street led by Mary Portas; and which geographical areas the review covers.

Edward Davey: holding answer 13 July 2011
	For the purposes of this independent review, a high street is defined as a geographically distinct area within a built-up area (i.e. a village, town, city or conurbation) which contains a concentration of publicly accessible facilities which may include retail outlets, leisure facilities, and public amenities. The geographical coverage of the review is England.

High Street Review

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many hours Mary Portas plans to work (a) each week and (b) in total on the independent review of the future of the high street.

Edward Davey: holding answer 13 July 2011
	Mary Portas is working on this review in her own time and will commit the time necessary to complete it. Mary Portas is not being paid for the time she spends on the review.

Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to regulate the recruitment practices of private for-profit higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The White Paper “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the system” (Cm 8122) sets out proposals for a single, transparent regulatory framework for all providers. There will be a new role for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as lead regulator.
	For-profit higher education institutions that want their students to access student support funding would have to comply with requirements on quality, dispute resolution, information, access (if charging over the basic tuition charge), financial sustainability, any reformed student number controls and tuition charge caps. As now, HEFCE would sit within a framework of “arm's length” principles precluding it from any role in admissions. This framework, on which we will consult, provides the necessary safeguards for students in respect of quality and information; protects the autonomy of institutions; and ensures government is able to maintain control of its financial exposure.

Higher Education: Admissions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people from York Central constituency (a) applied for and (b) started a degree course in each year between 1997 and 2010; and how many have applied to start a degree course in 2011.

David Willetts: The figures are given in the table.
	
		
			 Applicants and accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses from York Central constituency aged 20 or under 
			  Applicants Accepted applicants 
			 1997 305 242 
			 1998 316 246 
			 1999 334 274 
			 2000 342 284 
			 2001 375 312 
			 2002 375 320 
			 2003 393 321 
			 2004 403 347 
			 2005 439 366 
			 2006 391 327 
			 2007 423 354 
			 2008 430 362 
			 2009 486 389 
			 2010 502 388 
			 2011 560 — 
			 Notes: 1. Figures for the years up to 2010 are final end of year totals and include applicants who applied via the main UCAS application scheme, which closes on 30 June, or via clearing. 2. Applicant figures for 2011 entry are the latest figures as at 30 June. Source: UCAS

Higher Education: Admissions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for undergraduate study were made to (a) the University of York, (b) York St John University and (c) all English universities in each year since 1997.

David Willetts: The figures are given in the table.
	
		
			 UCAS main scheme applications to University of York, York St John University and England 1997 to 2010—Full-time undergraduate courses 
			  University of York York St John University All institutions in England 
			 1997 15,027 4,890 1,760,143 
			 1998 15,846 4,228 1,713,484 
			 1999 15,947 3,794 1,661,828 
			 2000 16,479 3,785 1,636,336 
			 2001 16,606 4,137 1,644,864 
			 2002 19,447 3,523 1,650,420 
			 2003 20,695 4,661 1,709,911 
			 2004 20,533 4,795 1,749,087 
			 2005 21,441 5,447 1,909,257 
			 2006 20,346 5,547 1,835,600 
			 2007 20,090 6,050 1,973,194 
			 2008 18,434 5,541 1,852,623 
			 2009 21,543 6,194 2,021,546 
			 2010 24,548 7,685 2,303,678 
			 Notes: 1. Since 2009 each applicant has been able to submit up to five applications (choices), or four if they are applying to medical, dentistry or veterinary science courses. In previous years applicants were able to submit up to six applications. 2. Figures cover applicants who applied during the main application scheme which closes on 30 June. Applicants who subsequently applied during clearing are excluded. Source: UCAS

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects on choice of university degree courses of proposals for the expansion of private degree providers; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System” (Cm 8122) makes clear that we want a diverse, competitive system that can offer different types of higher education so that students can choose freely between a wide range of courses and providers. Overall, students are likely to see increased choice.
	The White Paper also sets out plans to improve the information available to prospective students so they are able to make better informed choices about what course to study. The Key Information Set will for the first time bring together comparable information on student satisfaction, course content, assessment methods, costs, financial support and employment outcomes.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the potential effects on (a) publicly-funded universities and (b) standards of quality and (c) equity in the university sector of private sector universities offering two-year degrees for £6,000 per annum in tuition fees; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The White Paper, “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System” (Cm 8122) makes clear that we want a diverse, competitive system that can offer different types of higher education so that students can choose freely between a wide range of providers. Two-year degrees are offered currently by both publicly funded and alternative providers and offer scope for efficiencies which can deliver lower overall costs and will be attractive to those students wanting to study intensively.
	We are also planning to introduce a new regulatory framework which will ensure that all providers wishing to benefit from public funding are treated on a more consistent basis with respect to quality, dispute resolution, information, access, tuition charge caps and financial stability. Students will benefit as a result.

Higher Education: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much capital funding his Department and its predecessors allocated to (a) York college, (b) the university of York and (c) York St John university in each year since 2005.

David Willetts: Total capital payments for each of the institutions named since 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  York college University of York St John University of York 
			 2004-05 0 3,371,602 10,254,589 
			 2005-06 6,045,528 280,000 8,649,369 
			 2006-07 7,556,909 3,101,758 3,257,349 
			 2007-08 7,556,910 939,152 16,182,678 
			 2008-09 0 1,308,627 31,442,103 
			 2009-10 0 1,251,150 26,823,315 
			 2010-11 128,950 939,136 1,746,914 
		
	
	The university figures given cover capital payments for both teaching and research—hence the much higher figures for the university of York. £2 million of the allocation to York is repayable in future years to Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE.)

Student Loans Company

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether he plans to enable the Student Loans Company to withhold loans for students wishing to study at institutions deemed to be offering an unsatisfactory quality of higher education by the Quality Assurance Agency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to require higher education institutions whose students are in receipt of loans from the Student Loans Company to subscribe to the Quality Assurance Agency; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper published on 30 June proposes a single, transparent regulatory framework with which all providers in the Higher Education system will need to comply if they wish to benefit from public funding. We will consult this summer on detailed proposals for the framework, which will include quality requirements.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will assess the impact of anaerobic digestion on achieving her Department's policy for greenhouse gas emissions reduction from agriculture in the next four years;
	(2)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from anaerobic digestion to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan.

Richard Benyon: Anaerobic digestion (AD) can play an important role as a means of dealing with organic waste and avoiding, by more efficient capture and treatment, the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with its disposal to landfill.
	The Government made a commitment to work towards a ‘zero waste’ economy in the Coalition Programme for Government of 20 May 2010, and to introduce measures to increase energy from waste through anaerobic digestion. This was incorporated into DEFRA's Business plan. On 14 June 2011 Government published the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan. The Strategy sets out a vision for AD, while the Action Plan sets out the actions in detail that are needed to bring about an increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion.
	The AD Strategy and Action Plan has been worked up in partnership between Government and Industry. Within the document a number of barriers have been identified and appropriate actions to overcome those hurdles, for example the development of a tool to calculate GHG savings associated with feedstocks, evidence on the value of digestates and the establishment of a working group to look at current opportunities to support environmental benefits of on-farm AD.
	The Strategy does not set specific targets however the agreed actions should ensure there are no unnecessary obstacles to the development of England's AD industry.

Agriculture: Land Use

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on making available for food production suitable land which is at present set aside or otherwise unavailable.

James Paice: Set-aside was originally introduced as a means to control food production and this scheme was abolished from January 2009. This Government recognise that we need to produce more food while protecting the environment. I do not believe that Government should regulate if the farming industry delivers enhanced benefits on food production.
	The Government strongly support the need for more growing spaces to be made available for people to grow their own fruit and vegetables, as a contribution to helping people understand more about where food comes from and to eat a healthy, sustainable diet. We are working with colleagues at DCLG which is the Department leading on the work to encourage communities to take ownership or management of significant community assets which includes food producing land such as allotments and community orchards.

Air Pollution: Aviation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints her Department and its predecessor received about air pollution related to Heathrow airport in each of the last 10 years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold a central register of information and datasets on complaints about air pollution related to Heathrow airport. To produce a definitive list of such complaints would involve disproportionate cost.

Ammonia

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the renegotiation of the Gothenburg Protocol on restrictions on ammonia emissions.

Richard Benyon: A key EU aim for the renegotiation of the UNECE Gothenburg Protocol is to increase ratification of a revised protocol among non-EU parties in the UNECE region, which will further reduce levels of transboundary air pollution across Europe.
	The UK is fully engaged in this process. For all air pollutants likely to be covered by the revised Protocol, including ammonia, the UK supports further emission reductions in line with current national and EU policies.

Angling: Licensing

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many line caught fish licences were issued but not active during the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 11 July 2011
	There are very few licences issued that specifically relate to permitting a vessel to fish with hand lines. Instead, licences are structured primarily to control what species a fisherman can target. For example, a category A licence allows a fisherman to target any species subject to UK quotas. Within this, they can use a range of gears, depending on any EU or national technical conservation measures in place—for example, there are restrictions on the use of beam trawl gears based on historic activity.
	There were 1,386 category A licences issued in 2010 to vessels spread around the UK, all of which could have potentially used hand line gears. Of these, for example, only 345 vessels actually fished for mackerel with hand lines in 2010 in the South West, i.e. ICES areas 7e to 7h. This does not necessarily mean that the other vessels were inactive as they may have fished with other gears.

Animal Welfare

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on provision of incentives for animal health schemes in each of the next four financial years.

James Paice: Funding is available under the Rural Development Programme for England for measures to improve the animal health of farm livestock, where such support would result in improvements going significantly beyond the levels required by law, and where it would also lead to significant increases in the profitability and competitiveness of the agricultural holding concerned.
	There is no specific budgetary allocation for this purpose, separate from other aspects of competitiveness support. DEFRA is currently considering a new and more nationally consistent delivery model for the remaining two and a half years of the programme so far as the socio-economic measures are concerned, and support for animal health improvement will be one of the elements which that model will cover.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department has received from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser on a badger cull; and if she will publish any such advice.

James Paice: holding answer 6 July 2011
	Sir John Beddington, the Government chief scientific adviser, and his officials discussed the evidence around bovine TB and badgers with Professor Watson and DEFRA officials when the proposals (and supporting documents) in the public consultation were in development. He has also discussed this issue with me and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA officials continue to be in regular contact with Sir John and the Government Office for Science.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the cost of (a) purchase of equipment, (b) transport, (c) staff training, (d) employment and salary and (e) activities associated with a large-scale badger cull in England in each year of the project.

James Paice: Under the proposals set out in our public consultation on bovine tuberculosis: the Government's approach to tackling the disease and consultation on a badger control policy, we would expect the farming industry to bear the direct costs of badger control. Government would fund licensing and monitoring.
	An impact assessment setting out the various estimated costs was included as part of the consultation and can be found at:
	http://archive.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/tb-control-measures/100915-tb-control-measures-annexf.pdf

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which species of (a) wild and (b) domestic animal her Department has found to have contracted bovine tuberculosis.

James Paice: Nearly all warm-blooded animals are susceptible to bovine tuberculosis and it has been found in a range of species worldwide. As well as cattle and badgers, the species in which it has most commonly been confirmed in Britain are deer, llamas, alpacas, pigs, sheep, goats, ferrets, wild boar, cats and dogs. Further information of the number of cases in these species can be found on the DEFRA website.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the timescale for the introduction of an effective bovine TB vaccination for (a) badgers and (b) cattle.

James Paice: The first injectable badger vaccine, BadgerBCG, was licensed in March 2010. An oral badger vaccine, which may be a more practical option, is in development but is still several years away.
	A cattle vaccine is also being developed. However, vaccination of cattle against TB is prohibited under existing EU legislation. This will need to be changed before a vaccine can be used in the field. Changing EU legislation is a lengthy and uncertain process which is likely to take several years.
	It is therefore not possible to say with any certainty when a cattle vaccine and oral badger vaccine might be available for use in the field but it is several years away.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of bovine TB on the number of families working in the dairy industry.

James Paice: No work has been commissioned or reviewed specifically on the effect of bovine TB on the number of families working in or leaving the dairy industry. The decline in the number of dairy farmers is likely to be due to the combination of a range of factors and it would be difficult to precisely isolate the effect of bovine TB.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on testing badgers that are found dead for TB.

James Paice: The local authority (or, in the case of motorways, the Highways Agency) is responsible for the removal of badger carcases found beside roads. Post mortem examinations to establish disease status are not routinely carried out for badgers found dead.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she made of the risk of sanctions against the Government by the EU in the event of a failure to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

James Paice: DEFRA and the devolved Administrations work closely with the European Commission to ensure that we comply with EU legislation and that they understand the bovine TB situation in the UK. The Commission has supported our approach, approving the UK Bovine TB Eradication Plan for 2011, which includes controls to prevent the spread of bovine TB within the UK and to other countries. On that basis the current risk of EU sanctions is low. However, cattle can only be exported if they are individually certificated, come from officially tuberculosis free herds and if over 42 days of age have passed a pre-export tuberculin skin test within the previous 30 days. This is in accordance with Community law.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccinations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial contribution her Department has made towards research and development of oral TB vaccines for badgers in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: Since 2005-06 DEFRA has invested over £6 million on research into oral badger vaccines.

British Waterways Board

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill in relation to the convention rights of itinerant live-aboard boaters under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 11 July 2011
	The Minister for the Cabinet Office made the statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998, that in his view the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill are compatible with the convention rights. There is nothing in the powers contained in the Bill to prevent them being exercised in a way which is fully compatible with the convention.
	The Public Bodies Bill is an enabling Bill and therefore the Bill itself will not effect any changes to the British Waterways Board. Subject to parliamentary approval and any necessary consultation, the Public Bodies Bill will provide the necessary enabling powers to allow an Order to be made transferring the powers and duties of the British Waterways Board in England and Wales to the proposed New Waterways Charity (NWC).
	The Government recognise the importance of the rights of those who live on and use the inland waterways which will transfer to the NWC. Ultimately, it would be for a court to determine the application of, and compliance with, the Human Rights Act 1998 in relation to any action taken by the NWC.
	Further public consultation on the NWC, in the context of the transfer order, will take place in the autumn.

British Waterways Board: Freedom of Information

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will put in place measures to ensure that British Waterways will continue to be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 following any transfer to charitable status; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Government recognises the importance of making appropriate provision for access to information from public bodies and those outside the public sector with public functions. With this in mind, we are considering the principles involved in the transfer of functions to the New Waterways Charity (NWC), and will be discussing this in due course with the transition trustees.
	Further public consultation on the NWC, in the context of the transfer order, will take place in the autumn.

Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response she has made to the recommendation in the Committee on Climate Change's Meeting Carbon Budgets—3rd Progress Report to Parliament to consider options for further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from agriculture beyond that in the current industry action plan to meet the targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions in the next decade.

Richard Benyon: The Government welcomes the Committee on Climate Change's 3(rd) Annual Progress Report, published on 30 June. The Government will carefully consider the recommendations set out in the report and will formally respond later this year.

Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from using better soil management techniques to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the industry's action plan;
	(2)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from using better nutrient management techniques to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan;
	(3)  what proposals her Department has to encourage the selection of crop varieties by farmers which increase the rate of abatement from nitrous oxide emissions by 2020;
	(4)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from manure management to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan;
	(5)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from livestock feed to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan;
	(6)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from livestock breeding to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan;
	(7)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from using more nitrogen efficient plants to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan;
	(8)  what measures she plans to adopt to increase the potential of further greenhouse gas emissions abatement from using nitrification inhibitors to meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the next decade beyond those set out in the agriculture industry's action plan.

Richard Benyon: The Government, in partnership with the devolved Administrations, have invested £12.6 million over a four and half year period to improve the Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Inventory R and D Platform. Through a series of projects, covering data management and modelling and methane and nitrous oxide emissions, this research will strengthen our understanding of emissions produced on farm and better capture the positive actions that farmers are currently taking. This platform forms part of a wider programme of R and D into reducing GHG emissions from agriculture.
	This is an extensive programme of research that looks at specific techniques, such as improved animal feed, livestock breed, crop varieties, etc, that will reduce on farm emissions. Details of all R and D projects commissioned by DEFRA can be accessed through the Department's website.

Coastal Areas: Public Footpaths

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 491W, on coastal areas: public footpaths, when she expects to discuss with Natural England its priorities and timetable for the implementation of the coastal access provisions beyond the initial coastal stretches set out in March 2011.

Richard Benyon: We have announced our plans to implement coastal access at Weymouth and in five lead areas. My officials are reviewing with Natural England the possible next steps for coastal access, following any lessons learnt from the current implementation and in the light of available resources.

Coastal Erosion: East Sussex

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had on coastal erosion between Brighton and Peacehaven;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to prevent erosion of the (a) coastline and (b) A259 coastal road between Brighton and Peacehaven.

Richard Benyon: Under the Coast Protection Act 1949, Brighton and Hove city council and Lewes district council are the competent operating authorities with permissive powers to undertake coastal erosion management work for the coastline between Brighton and Peacehaven.
	The Environment Agency provides the strategic coastal overview on behalf of DEFRA. It assesses all risk, prioritises risk management programmes, and allocates and manages funding for work programmes.
	The recently reviewed Beachy Head to Selsey Bill Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) includes the Brighton to Peacehaven frontage. For the majority of both the frontage and the A259, the SMP recommends a policy of “holding the line” of the toe of the cliff. For part of the frontage at Telscombe cliffs, which includes a smaller section of the A259 and currently has no defences, there is a policy of “no active intervention”.
	The forthcoming Newhaven Harbour to Brighton Marina Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy will develop the SMP policy further and identify options for managing the coastline for the next 100 years. This will include a detailed assessment of the likely costs involved, including the likelihood of central Government funding in accordance with the latest DEFRA flood and coastal resilience partnership funding policy.
	This strategy is to be led by Lewes district council, and a request for flood defence grant in aid of £325,000 has been submitted in this year's Medium Term Plan for funding to begin in 2012-13.

Crops: Research

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regional research hubs for groupings of crops will be supported by her Department in each of the next four financial years.

James Paice: Crop research is undertaken within research institutes and university departments across the UK. DEFRA does not fund regional research hubs for groupings of crops. There are no plans to establish such hubs.

Departmental Consultants

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department (a) has spent and (b) plans to spend on consultants as part of the National Ecosystems Assessment.

Richard Benyon: The National Ecosystem Assessment was not commissioned as a consultancy, but as a scientific research project co-ordinated by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. DEFRA's contribution to the project was £674,820. The funding consortium included all of the devolved Administrations as well as the Natural Environment Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council. The study was a major project involving over 500 economists and scientists, many of whom gave their knowledge and time for free. The Natural Environment White Paper includes a commitment to build on the National Ecosystem Assessment by supporting a further phase of research, but financial commitments have not been finalised.

Departmental Consultants

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department (a) has spent and (b) plans to spend on consultants as part of the England Biodiversity Strategy.

Richard Benyon: No consultancy costs were incurred directly in developing our new England Biodiversity Strategy (2011-20), which is due to be published shortly.
	We do not have quantified plans for overall future consultancy costs associated with implementing this wide-ranging 10-year strategy. There will occasionally be some consultancy spend where this is necessary to provide the required expertise or independence of view, for example, in relation to the Nature Improvement Area competition panel.

Departmental Consultants

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on external consultants as part of the waste review.

Richard Benyon: No external consultants were employed to work on the Government's Review of Waste Policy in England.

Dogs: Sales

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has assessed the merits of extending the provisions of the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 to regulate the sale of dogs online.

James Paice: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 largely amended the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and does not exclude businesses that breed dogs and sell them over the internet, as long as such businesses are based in Great Britain.

Eggs: Labelling

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will discuss with representatives of the egg industry the introduction of a labelling scheme to indicate the production method of multi-ingredient food products containing eggs.

James Paice: DEFRA Ministers are happy to discuss industry initiatives. While we have no plans to introduce a Government-led labelling scheme to indicate the production method of multi-ingredient food products containing eggs, such information can already be provided on a voluntary basis so long as it is not misleading to consumers.

Farmers: Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has issued any advice to farmers on the generation of low-carbon energy on their land.

James Paice: Farmers can access free telephone and web advice on low carbon energy generation and energy efficiency from the Carbon Trust, which is funded by Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
	The Government are keen for farm businesses to improve their energy efficiency through the uptake of low-carbon and energy efficient equipment. We are therefore working closely with DECC, which leads on energy policy, to ensure that its policies and advice include farm businesses.

Farmers: Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals her Department has to (a) improve energy efficiency, (b) encourage greater uptake of renewable energy sources by farmers and (c) reduce land use change emissions from agriculture to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in 2020.

James Paice: Energy efficiency is a key focus of the Government's energy and climate change strategy. The Government are also keen for farm businesses to improve their energy efficiency through the uptake of low-carbon and energy efficient equipment. We are working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which leads on energy policy, to ensure that its policies include farm businesses.
	A wide range of policies are in place or under development, as set out in the Carbon Plan published in March. These include major initiatives such as the forthcoming Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation, and the existing Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. DEFRA's contributions to improving energy efficiency cover a range of policy areas including product standards, corporate carbon reporting, water efficiency, and resource efficiency.
	Agri-environment schemes have the potential, either through previous, current or new land management practice to deliver greenhouse gas reductions of 3.46 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year.

Fertilisers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has plans to require the collection of data on the impact of soil testing measures on the use of fertiliser.

Richard Benyon: We do not have plans to collect such data although DEFRA is committed to helping make available the best advice on the frequency of soil sampling and analysis as part of good nutrient management.
	We welcome the work that industry is doing including the compilation of soil test data across England and Wales, and in providing advice and promoting nutrient management planning.

Fertilisers: Grasslands

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of (a) the extent of fertiliser use on grassland areas in England and (b) its effects on the density of nitrous oxide emissions in each of the last four years.

James Paice: Volatility in fertiliser prices over recent years has been a significant influence on year on year usage levels. The following table shows overall(1) nitrogen fertiliser use on grassland in England and to better illustrate the longer term trend, data for 2004 to 2010 are shown. These figures relate to manufactured fertiliser only and do not include organic manures.
	
		
			 Overall nitrogen fertiliser use on grassland (kg per hectare) 
			  Total nitrogen 
			 2004 73 
			 2005 69 
			 2006 67 
			 2007 61 
			 2008 52 
			 2009 54 
			 2010 61 
		
	
	The downward trend in fertiliser application on grassland has been one of the main drivers of the reduction in nitrous oxide emissions from UK agriculture which have fallen from 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent in 2004 to 27.6 million tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2007 and 27.4 million tonnes in 2009. 2010 data are not yet available.
	(1) The overall application rate is defined as the total quantity of nutrient used, in kilograms (kg), divided by the total extent of crop area, in hectares (including any areas without application of the nutrient).
	Sources
	The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice
	DECC, UK Climate Change Statistics

Food

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Totnes (Dr Wollaston) of 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 497W, on food, what steps she plans to take to ensure that food procured by the public sector meets British or equivalent standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs.

James Paice: We want to improve standards of public food procurement where this can be achieved without increasing the overall costs. This means closely assessing the costs and benefits of various options for the procurement of food that is healthy, sustainable and ethically sourced. Our proposals have been submitted to external review to make sure we get this right and we have published guidance for buyers alongside the standards.
	We are working with major local authority buying organisations in the PR05 group to encourage the voluntary inclusion of Government Buying Standards into national food and catering procurement frameworks, which will enable public sector bodies to achieve cost savings without compromising on quality or sustainability.
	In addition, DEFRA is developing training for catering managers and procurers in the public sector on efficient and sustainable food procurement based around the Government Buying Standards and using examples of best practice from around the country.
	We believe that local people are best placed to decide what is best in their communities. Greater transparency across Government is at the heart of our shared commitment to enable the public to hold politicians and public bodies to account. Local government are required to publish details of contracts over £500, and NHS bodies are required to publish contracts over £10,000.

Food: Origin Marking

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department made on the introduction of the EU's Country of Origin labelling proposals.

James Paice: We have been pressing for improved origin information in the current EU negotiations on a new regulation on the provision of food information to consumers. The European Parliament agreed a compromise proposal on 6 July. This is expected to be formally adopted by the Council by the end of the year.
	For origin labelling, this would mean:
	Fresh and frozen meat would have to be labelled with its origin;
	Where origin claims are made concerning the origin of a food, the origin of the main ingredients will have to be given if these are different to the claim.
	The Commission is also charged with looking at extending the rules to other foods such as meat as an ingredient, milk and dairy products. It is currently expected that the regulation will be published by early 2012.

Foxes: Disease Control

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on measures to address the spread of alveolar echinococcosis in the fox population; and what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on the matter.

James Paice: Ongoing surveillance of wild foxes has demonstrated that the fox population in the UK remains free of echinococcus multilocularis. Similarly, no domestic cases of human infection by the tapeworm E. multilocularis have been found. The UK's geographic separation from continental Europe essentially eliminates the risk of the introduction of E. multilocularis through the cross-border movement of wild animals to a negligible level.
	A qualitative assessment of the risk of importing the tapeworm E. multilocularis via the movement of pet animals to the UK has been carried out by DEFRA. Exposure of a pet to infection depends on the country visited and whether the pet has ingested any infected rodents. Alveolar echinococcosis is restricted to the northern hemisphere and has become more of a problem in some urban fox populations. The risk is currently mitigated by a requirement to treat all cats and dogs with Praziquantel (certified by a vet in the pet passport or third country official veterinary certificate) before entering the UK.
	We recognise that without our current treatment regime there would be an increased risk of disease introduction and the disease could become established in the UK rodent or fox population. The European Commission has given a strong indication that it will shortly come forward with proposals that would enable the UK and other tapeworm free countries to retain tapeworm controls with a treatment window of one-five days.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, recently wrote to the devolved Administrations, updating them on the changes to the pet movement controls, including the steps being taken to retain controls on tapeworm. DEFRA officials hold regular discussions with counterparts in the devolved Administrations on these issues.

Horticulture

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to support the gardening industry through research and development of ornamental horticulture.

James Paice: DEFRA continues to fund research on horticulture through its research and development (R and D) programmes on sustainable farming systems, agriculture and climate change, and sustainable water management. Research into areas such as crop protection, nutrient management, control of pests and diseases, water use and growing media are generally applicable to a wide range of ornamental and food crops. In addition, the industry supports R and D through its DEFRA sponsored levy body, the Horticultural Development Corporation, a part of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board.

Marine Conservation Zones

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the statutory nature conservation bodies have made towards the objective of designating an ecologically-coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012.

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether she plans to designate a management regime for species and habitats that are not features of conservation importance to ensure their protection within a marine conservation zone;
	(2)  by what means marine conservation zones will protect species and habitats listed in the Annex to the Habitats Directive which are found at nationally rather than internationally important thresholds;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the management provisions resources required to ensure that requirements for site objectives and requirements for an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas are fulfilled;
	(4)  whether marine conservation zones may be designated in respect of species and habitats which do not constitute features of conservation importance.

Richard Benyon: The Government are committed to delivering on its vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. Creating an ecologically-coherent network of marine protected areas (MPAs), which includes marine conservation zones (MCZs), is central to conserving marine biodiversity and will contribute to the wider health of our marine ecosystem.
	The four stakeholder-led regional projects have made good progress and presented their draft final recommendations for prospective MCZ sites, including identifying conservation objectives for most sites, at the beginning of June. Taking account of comments from the MPA Science Advisory Panel they will present their final site recommendations and conservation objectives at the end of August.
	The MCZ site recommendations, the formal advice from the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, and the impact assessments will be sent to Ministers in January 2012. We will give these and the scientific and economic evidence and stakeholders' views careful consideration, before making a decision on sites to take forward to public consultation in early summer 2012 with a view to designation by end the end of 2012.
	The Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies' Ecological Network Guidance to the regional projects describes the requirements for an ecologically coherent network, including those habitats and species of conservation importance considered to be most appropriately protected using MCZs. The guidance is available on Natural England's website. For habitats and species requiring the requiring the establishment of European sites (Special Areas of Conservation and/or Special Protection Areas (SPAs)) in accordance with the EC habitats and birds directives, it is considered that these European sites will provide the requisite contribution to the network.
	MCZs should only be proposed for habitats and species that are protected under the EC habitats and wild birds directives in exceptional circumstances, and where they are essential to meet the ecological coherence objectives of the wider MPA network, as our guidance makes clear.
	When selecting MCZs for habitats and species of conservation importance, particular attention is given to areas of additional ecological importance. These include areas that support particular ecological processes, are important for particular life stages or behaviours of any species, are highly productive or support high biodiversity. Spatial protection mechanisms are not, in isolation, the most effective way of protecting highly mobile species. Protecting some habitats important to mobile species can aid their conservation, as part of wider protection measures that can be applied across their range. We will continue to develop bespoke management measures for vulnerable mobile species, such as acoustic deterrents to reduce dolphin bycatch and fisheries protection for endangered sharks. For birds the SPAs, combined with other sector-wide initiatives (for example under the EU Seabird Plan of Action), will be the primary methods for protection. If areas important to habitats or species not specified in the Ecological Network Guidance are identified, the evidence should be provided and we will consider their protection through MCZs.
	The regional projects are working with stakeholders to identify possible management measures, such as byelaws or voluntary agreements that may be needed. Their likely social and economic effects will be assessed in an impact assessment. This will include the potential resources required for management provisions: for example the potential cost to the Marine Management Organisation and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities of putting byelaws in place.

Nitrates

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the inclusion of all regions of England within nitrate vulnerable zones under the EU Nitrates Directive.

Richard Benyon: We expect to consult on a range of proposals and the indicative new nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) boundaries in the autumn. Final decisions will depend on a range of factors, including the cost implications and the outcome of the consultation.

Nitrates

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions abatement of the inclusion of all English regions within nitrate vulnerable zones under the EU Nitrates Directive.

Richard Benyon: The Department is currently funding a research project that is looking at the impact on greenhouse gas emissions from changes to manure management practices as a result of the Nitrates Action Programme. The project will evaluate the effects of the implementation of several possible Action Programme measures, including designating the whole of England as a single nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ). Evidence from this and other research projects will assist Ministers in making their final decisions on the designation of nitrate vulnerable zones in England under the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) due in 2012. This work is part of an integrated approach to tackling diffuse pollution from agriculture.
	A consultation document on the review of the NVZ designations in England is due to be published this autumn. This will provide further information on the option of a whole territory approach proposal.

Producer Responsibility

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with industry representatives on producer responsibility; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Ministers and officials engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including on producer responsibility, as part of the Government's Review of Waste Policy in England, which was published in June. The stakeholders included representatives from central and local government, environmental groups, businesses throughout the supply chain, the waste management industry and civil society organisations.
	The Review concluded that while statutory producer responsibility can be an influential driver for change, better environmental outcomes can in many circumstances be delivered in a less burdensome way through a voluntary approach. DEFRA is now working with a range of businesses to explore the potential for new responsibility deals in a number of different sectors.

Rabbits: EU Law

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether regulation of rabbit farming in the UK is affected by EU legislation; what recent assessment she has made of the (a) standards and (b) reputation of rabbit farming in (i) the UK and (ii) the EU; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes sets out a general framework for the protection of all farmed animals, but there is no specific provision for rabbits.
	However, in 2005, the European Food Safety Authority produced a report describing housing and husbandry systems and their impact on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits. This report fed into the Council of Europe's draft recommendations concerning the minimum standards for farmed rabbits which are still under negotiation.
	The UK has a relatively small rabbit farming industry compared to some EU member states. The keeping of commercially farmed rabbits is adequately provided for by way of the provisions in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007 which contains a specific schedule for rabbits. In addition, DEFRA has a code for rabbits which provides good husbandry advice including recommendations for housing, feed, water and space allowances which should be regarded as absolute minimum.

Reservoirs

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) capacity and (b) number of reservoirs was in England in (i) 1989 and (ii) 2010.

Richard Benyon: At the end of 2010 there were 1,909 reservoirs classed as “large raised reservoirs”, based on the definition laid down in the Reservoirs Act 1975. These had a combined maximum capacity of 2,264,376,534 cubic metres. Figures for 1989 are not available. Records of reservoirs outside the “large raised reservoir” category are not held centrally.

Shooting Seasons

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the arrangements to set the dates of the shooting seasons to provide for the extension of a season in cases where severe weather has prevented shooting.

James Paice: The close season for birds listed on Schedule 1 Part 2 and Schedule 2 Part 1 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is set to avoid birds being shot at a time when this could interfere with breeding. Shooting during this period would likely have an impact on the conservation status of these species.
	Following a severe winter, the close season for listed species is particularly important in order to ensure wild birds are able to recover to breeding condition, move between wintering and breeding grounds, and successfully breed. Therefore, there are no plans in England to extend the shooting season in years where severe weather has resulted in the voluntary or statutory suspension of shooting.

Squirrels

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider the merits of introducing a bounty for grey squirrels to reduce the population of that species.

Richard Benyon: It has sometimes been suggested that a restoration of the bounty scheme operated by the Government in the 1950s could help to eradicate grey squirrels or at least make a serious impact on numbers. The scheme made no significant impact on natural fluctuations in numbers, however, and was abandoned as ineffective. Populations of grey squirrels actually rose during most of the scheme's lifetime. Therefore, we have no plans to reintroduce a bounty scheme for grey squirrels.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to the Government of Afghanistan on the imprisonment of Said Musa.

Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
	We understand Mr Musa was released from custody in February 2011. During his detention we worked with international partners to raise Mr Musa's case with the Afghan Government. The UK Attorney-General also raised this case with the Afghan Attorney-General, when he visited Afghanistan in January.

Afghanistan: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will request the Government of Afghanistan to release from prison all those imprisoned for offences related to their conversion from Islam.

Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
	We are not aware of any current cases in Afghanistan of individuals imprisoned for offences relating to conversion from Islam.
	We continue to work closely with international partners to monitor the situation of Afghan Christians, and to raise this issue with the Afghan Government when appropriate.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will consider investing some of the £1.5 billion retained by his Department for allocation in the later years of the comprehensive spending review period in pro-poor agricultural growth through his Department's bilateral programmes for the purposes of mitigating the likelihood of future food security crises in the developing world.

Andrew Mitchell: At least 16 of the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral programmes are currently planning programmes which will deliver improvements in the food security and nutritional status of poor people in the countries concerned. DFID also provides significant support for food security through our investments in agricultural research and our contributions to the work of relevant multilateral institutions such as the World Food Programme. Over the next four years, DFID's support will stop 10 million more children going hungry and ensure anther four million people have enough food throughout the year.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has further allocation decisions to make in the later years of the current spending review period. These decisions will be informed by the need to meet the conditions of DFID's spending review settlement and to ensure that the Department’s business plan objectives are delivered.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on investing in agricultural growth through bilateral programmes for the purposes of mitigating the likelihood of a future food security crisis in the developing world.

Andrew Mitchell: Currently, at least 10 of the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral programmes and our regional programmes in Africa and Asia are planning to provide support for agricultural sector development. In total, at least 16 country programmes are planning programmes which will deliver improvements in the food security and nutritional status of poor people in the countries concerned. DFID also provides significant support for improvement in global food security through our investment in agricultural research and our contributions to the work of relevant multilateral institutions such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will allocate a proportion of the £1.5 billion retained for allocation in the later years of the comprehensive spending review period to pro-poor agricultural growth to mitigate the likelihood of future food security crises.

Andrew Mitchell: At least 16 of the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral programmes are currently planning programmes which will deliver improvements in the food security and nutritional status of poor people in the countries concerned. DFID also provides significant support for food security through our investments in agricultural research and our contributions to the work of relevant multilateral institutions such as the World Food Programme. Over the next four years, DFID's support will stop 10 million more children going hungry and ensure anther 4 million people have enough food throughout the year.
	DFID has further allocation decisions to make in the later years of the current spending review period. These decisions will be informed by the need to meet the conditions of DFID's spending review settlement and to ensure that the Department's business plan objectives are delivered.

Developing Countries: Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to promote improved diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID) focus is on improving the health of the poor through support to Governments and other organisations to deliver health services. We believe that by strengthening health services so that they are better able to diagnose and treat all major causes of ill health including diabetes we will improve health outcomes.

Developing Countries: Marriage

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to reduce the incidence of early and forced marriage in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: Investing in adolescent girls, including delaying the age of marriage and first pregnancy, is a central part of DFID's Strategic Vision for Girls and Women.
	In Ethiopia, DFID is taking to scale a successful pilot, supported by the Nike Foundation. The scaled up programme will delay marriage for 220,000 girls in two specific locations, with the vision to expand to the entire Amhara region—which has the highest rate of child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa.
	DFID is also supporting the Population Council's Transitions to Adulthood programme, which is addressing child marriage. The programme works with communities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Nigeria, to foster an environment that is supportive of later marriage. The programme offers families the resources and options they need to defer marriage, while also supporting married girls by addressing the isolation and disempowerment that characterizes their situation.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to meet the commitment in the Framework for Results on improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health to raise the average age at which girls first marry and conceive.

Andrew Mitchell: The Framework for Results recognises the risks associated with adolescent pregnancy and highlights the importance of ensuring that adolescents have control over their fertility. Adolescent pregnancy is not only dangerous for the health of the mother and the child but also has other consequences, such as the mother dropping out of school and damaging her future opportunities to participate in the labour market. It can also have an adverse affect on their status as well as on the children and their wider communities.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is working in a number of countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Kenya to develop innovative new approaches designed to help girls increase the age of first marriage, delay the age of first birth, reduce their overall fertility rate and ensure that they can manage their reproductive health during adolescence and beyond. DFID is also supporting long-term research on how to improve access to family planning for adolescent girls.

Human Resources for Health Programme

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what methodology his Department used to estimate that 25 per cent. of its health funding supports human resources for health.

Stephen O'Brien: The estimate that 25% of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) health funding supports human resources for health (HRH) was drawn from data analysis undertaken for DFID's 2009 Health Portfolio Review. A desk-based analysis of Overseas Development Assistance in the 2008-09 financial year was used to quantify the volume and percentage of DFID spending on “aid to health” that was committed to HRH spending across all countries. In addition, an in-depth review of HRH programming in four countries and a survey of HRH programming across 12 countries were used to test the assumptions made in the desk-based analysis.
	The Health Portfolio Review can be found at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2010/Health-portfolio-review-2009/

Horn of Africa: Agriculture

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase long-term resilience in the national agricultural systems of the countries of the Horn of Africa for the purposes of reducing the effects of potential future food crises.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided a £10 million grant to the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) to boost agricultural productivity and improve resilience to food insecurity in Africa. CAADP is working with the national agricultural systems in Ethiopia and Kenya, among other African countries, to define strategies for halving hunger and achieving increases of 6% in agricultural growth each year through policy reform and better investment. For example latest figures we have from 2009 show that annual agricultural growth rates were 6% in Ethiopia and 3% in Kenya.
	DFID also provides resilience through country led programmes in Africa. In Ethiopia we support the Productive Safety Net Programme which provides cash and food transfers to around 8 million vulnerable people, while in Kenya we are supporting more than 60,000 of the most vulnerable households by providing regular cash payments through our Hunger Safety Net Programme.

Horn of Africa: Agriculture

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding for climate change adaption and mitigation finance his Department has provided to smallholder farmers in the Horn of Africa in (a) absolute amounts and (b) as a proportion of overall climate change funding in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Andrew Mitchell: Our central recording systems do not capture such detail for project expenditure. The UK Government have committed to providing £1.5 billion in Fast Start finance over the period 2010-12, to help the developing world carry out the urgent work needed to adapt to climate change, adopt clean technology and reduce emissions from deforestation. 50% of this will help developing countries adapt to climate change, a significant share of which is designed to benefit smallholder farmers.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change. For example, DFID funded researchers in Ethiopia are working with farmers to make better decisions in the face of risks from drought. In Kenya DFID supports research on improved early warning so that farmers can adjust their cropping strategies to increase production.

Horn of Africa: Agriculture

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to develop long-term resilience into the national agricultural systems of countries in the Horn of Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided a £10 million grant to the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to boost agricultural productivity and improve resilience to food insecurity in Africa. CAADP is working with the national agricultural systems in Ethiopia and Kenya, among other African countries, to define strategies for halving hunger and achieving increases of 6% in agricultural growth each year through policy reform and better investment. For example latest figures we have from 2009 show that annual agricultural growth rates where 6% in Ethiopia and 3% in Kenya.
	DFID also provides resilience through country-led programmes in Africa. In Ethiopia we support the Productive Safety Net Programme which provides cash and food transfers to around eight million vulnerable people, while in Kenya we are supporting more than 60,000 of the most vulnerable households by providing regular cash payments through our Hunger Safety Net Programme.

Horn of Africa: Climate Change

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation finance his Department has provided to smallholder farmers in the Horn of Africa in each of the last four financial years (a) in cash terms and (b) as a proportion of overall funding provided by his Department for climate change mitigation; and how much funding he plans to allocate for such purposes in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Andrew Mitchell: Our central recording systems do not capture such detail for project expenditure. The UK Government have committed to providing £1.5 billion in Fast Start finance over the period 2010-12, to help the developing world carry out the urgent work needed to adapt to climate change, adopt clean technology and reduce emissions from deforestation. 50% of this will help developing countries adapt to climate change, a significant share of which is designed to benefit smallholder farmers.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change. For example, DFID funded researchers in Ethiopia are working with farmers to make better decisions in the face of risks from drought. In Kenya DFID supports research on improved early warning so that farmers can adjust their cropping strategies to increase production.

Horn of Africa: Climate Change

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of its funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation his Department has provided to small holder farmers in the Horn of Africa in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: Our central recording systems do not capture such detail for project expenditure. The UK Government have committed to providing £1.5 billion in Fast Start finance over the period 2010-12, to help the developing world carry out the urgent work needed to adapt to climate change, adopt clean technology and reduce emissions from deforestation. 50% of this will help developing countries adapt to climate change, a significant share of which is designed to benefit smallholder farmers.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change. For example, DFID funded researchers in Ethiopia are working with farmers to make better decisions in the face of risks from drought. In Kenya DFID supports research on improved early warning so that farmers can adjust their cropping strategies to increase production.

Horn of Africa: Human Rights

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultation he is undertaking on a joint response to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: The British Government are in regular contact with UK non-government organisation (NGOs) in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to discuss joint working and co-ordination in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. I anticipate an official announcement on humanitarian funding in response to the crisis in Somalia over the coming days.

Overseas Aid

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will reconsider his decision to end funding to the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies;
	(2)  what pre-qualification mechanism his Department will use when allocating funding to non-governmental organisations during the first 72 hours of a humanitarian crisis;
	(3)  what plans his Department has to help the work of (a) UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and (b) NGO consortia in responding to humanitarian disasters.

Andrew Mitchell: The Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA) funding will finish as planned in April 2012.
	As a result of the Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR) the Government have decided to establish two new funding mechanisms for non-governmental organisations (NGOs): a new facility that will enable prequalified NGOs and charities to respond to crises within the first 72 hours; and, a new mechanism to support the strongest performing British NGOs to improve timeliness and quality of responses to humanitarian crises.
	For both mechanisms we would welcome applications by NGO consortia.
	The prequalification process will involve compliance with a series of eligibility and suitability criteria, and demonstration of past results. Together these will determine if the organisation in question has the correct policy approach and experience to provide the most effective and value for money response. Funding decisions for prequalified NGOs will be based on need and will depend on the nature of the emergency.
	We will also increase our policy dialogue with NGOs and other civil society groups, including diaspora groups. Dialogue will focus on United Nations (UN) reform and on improving humanitarian response more generally. We will actively support efforts by NGOs themselves to resolve the problems posed by their multiplicity in humanitarian emergencies, particularly NGO co-ordination and accreditation.

Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to (a) prevent the spread of tuberculosis, (b) prevent deaths from tuberculosis and (c) track tuberculosis patients living (i) with and (ii) without HIV.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government highlighted their commitment to supporting global efforts to halve tuberculosis (TB) deaths by 2015 in ‘UK aid: Changing lives delivering results’. The recently launched ‘Towards zero infections; the UK's position paper on HIV in the developing world’ outlines how the UK will contribute to the UNAIDS and Stop TB Partnership goal of reducing HIV-related TB among people living with HIV by 50% by 2015. This will be done through UK multilateral and bilateral support to help deliver the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2011-15. We work with our partners, particularly UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation and affected countries, to track global progress on HIV and TB.

Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department monitors the number of tuberculosis deaths among people (a) with and (b) without HIV.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK works with its partners, particularly UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and affected countries, to track global progress on HIV and TB. WHO and UNAIDS have the mandate to monitor global progress on reducing deaths and illness from TB and TB-HIV and WHO reports on global tuberculosis control annually.

Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to provide assistance to the UNAIDS and Stop TB partnership's goal of reducing tuberculosis deaths of people with HIV.

Stephen O'Brien: In ‘Towards zero infections: The UK's position paper on HIV in the developing World’ the UK Government stated that the UK will contribute to the UNAIDS and Stop TB Partnership's goal of reducing HIV-related TB among people living with HIV by 50% by 2015. We also made clear that the UK will maintain our funding to UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation and increase our contribution to the Global Fund to Fights AIDS, TB and malaria pending implementation of crucial reforms, as outlined in the multilateral aid review.
	The UK Government committed £4.5 million over three years, (2008-11) to the Stop TB Partnership to support the delivery of the Global Plan to Stop TB whose goal is to halve deaths due to tuberculosis by 2015. We are in discussions with the Stop TB Partnership on a new funding cycle.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred on the National Drug Control Strategy Programme in Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt: The UK supports the implementation of the Government of Afghanistan’s National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS) in a number of areas including support for law enforcement agencies, targeting of poppy eradication, promoting economic development and alternative livelihoods, and building the capacity of central and provincial government departments.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office funding for this support currently comes from two sources: Conflict Pool (tri-departmentally funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence); and the Strategic Programme Fund.
	Total spend on support to the implementation of the NDCS from both these sources for the financial year 2010-11 was £28.1 million.

Andrew Coulson

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by Mr Andrew Coulson (A) between 12 May 2010 and 21 January 2011 and (B) since 21 January 2011.

David Lidington: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-338.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the statement by the Minister for the Middle East on 22 June 2011, what representations he has made to the Bahraini authorities on the sentencing of the 21 Bahraini civilians.

Alistair Burt: We have raised our concerns about the arrests of protestors and medical staff, including when my right hon. Friend the the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, met the Crown Prince of Bahrain on 25 May 2011. Our outgoing ambassador to Bahrain has also raised our concerns over the conduct of the trials with the Government of Bahrain, at the highest level. On 29 June 2011, Official Report, columns 957-61, the Secretary of State made a statement to the House of Commons expressing the UK's concerns about the suspension and investigation of political parties, the imprisonment of leading moderate politicians, the alleged mistreatment of detainees and the trial of members of the medical profession before tribunals containing a military judge.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the statement by the Minister for the Middle East on 22 June 2011, what reports he has received on the sentence given to Abdulhadi Al Khawaja; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I am aware of the sentence received by Mr Al Khawaja, and am deeply concerned by the nature of the charges brought against him and the 20 other political figures. We continue to raise our concerns over the conduct of the trials. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made a statement to the House of Commons on 29 June 2011, Official Report, columns 957-61, expressing the UK's concerns about the suspension and investigation of political parties, the imprisonment of leading moderate politicians, the alleged mistreatment of detainees and the trial of members of the medical profession before tribunals containing a military judge. The Foreign Secretary also raised our concerns about the arrests of protestors and medical staff when he met the Crown Prince of Bahrain on 25 May 2011. Our outgoing ambassador to Bahrain has also raised our concerns at the highest level with the Government of Bahrain.
	We repeatedly urge the Bahrainis that due process should be carefully and transparently followed in the ongoing trials. In this context, we welcome the Government of Bahrain's decision to hold the remaining trials in civilian courts.

Brahmaputra River: Hydroelectric Power

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Chinese Government on its hydroelectric and diversionary plans for the Brahmaputra river.

Jeremy Browne: The British embassy in Beijing has discussed this issue with Chinese academics and with the Indian embassy in Beijing. But to date we have not had any direct discussions with the Chinese Government on their hydroelectric and diversionary plans for the Brahmaputra river.

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds his Department has set aside to support the families of British citizens killed abroad.

Jeremy Browne: We are finalising arrangements to enhance our relationship with the Victim Support National Homicide Service by providing funding of up to £100,000 per year for financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 to enable them to commission services on behalf of bereaved families in England and Wales when a British national dies as a result of murder, manslaughter or infanticide abroad.

Ministerial Meetings

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) meetings and (b) other engagements (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department attended which were also attended by (A) representatives, (B) journalists and (C) other employees of (1) News International and its subsidiary organisations including newspapers, (2) News Corporation and its subsidiary organisations and (3) BSkyB since 12 May 2010.

David Lidington: As has been the practice of previous Administrations information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 311-338.

Burma: Politics and Government

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the regime in Burma to (a) cease threats to Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy and (b) guarantee her safe and free movement around the country.

Jeremy Browne: In response to veiled threats in the Burmese state media towards the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, issued a statement on 30 June. He reminded the Burmese authorities that Aung San Suu Kyi should be able to travel freely without risk to her personal safety and that the authorities' stance was at odds with their message on dialogue and reconciliation. He reminded the Burmese Government that the safety and security of all Burma's people is their responsibility. Foreign and Commonwealth officials raised this issue with the Burmese ambassador on 8 July. Our embassy in Rangoon continues to monitor the situation and remains in close touch with Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy.

Departmental Co-ordination

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to strengthen working relationships between officials in his Department and those in the Department for International Development.

William Hague: Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and in the Department for International Development (DFID) work closely together, both in London and across our respective networks overseas. The National Security Council process has embedded joint working at ministerial and official level in London. Overseas, the FCO and DFID are co-located in two thirds of those countries where DFID is present. We are promoting shared services, joint working and joint programming, including on joint conflict-related activity in the Peacekeeping and Conflict Pool tri-departmental (FCO-DFID-MOD) funding mechanisms.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statistical data his Department has ceased to collect in the 12 months; and what the (a) reasons for and (b) savings arising from each such cessation were.

David Lidington: This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost because this is devolved to our missions overseas and to individual directorates and strategic programmes within the UK.

Emergency Disaster Reserve

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Emergency Disaster Reserve system in supporting evacuation operations.

William Hague: The adequacy of the Emergency Disaster Reserve system was considered as part of the Review of Consular Evacuation Procedures that I instructed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to carry out on 23 February 2011. A copy of the review was placed in the House on 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 74WS. I have given instructions that its recommendations should be implemented in full by 31 December 2011.

Emergency Disaster Reserve

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed the adequacy of the Emergency Disaster Reserve system with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

William Hague: I and other Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly discuss our responses to consular crises including the Emergency Disaster Reserve system with Ministers from Her Majesty's Treasury including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

India: Prisoners

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he raised the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar during his meeting with his Indian counterpart on 30 June 2011.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, did not discuss Mr Bhullar's case with Indian Foreign Minster Krishna when they met on 30 June. I wrote to the Indian high commissioner on 20 June, reiterating the UK Government's strong opposition to the death penalty and urging the Government of India to reconsider Mr Bhullar's sentence. I have also raised our concerns with Indian Foreign Secretary Rao on 28 June, and with Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur on 5 July. We continue to urge the Government of India to establish a formal moratorium as a first step towards the abolition of the death penalty in India.

Indonesia: Minority Groups

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Government of Indonesia on the protection of minority communities such as the Ahmadiyya community in that country.

Jeremy Browne: We have strong relations with the Government of Indonesia and this includes raising any issues of concern, including freedom of religion, both bilaterally and through the European Union (EU).
	Our ambassador raised freedom of religion concerns with the Indonesian Attorney-General on 21 April 2011. On 5 May 2011, the EU in Jakarta held a meeting for EU partners with members of the Ahmadiyya community that were subjected to a violent attack in February 2011.
	Tackling discrimination and protecting minority communities was also discussed with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on 9 March 2011.
	Along with our EU partners, we continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia and to press the authorities to ensure respect for the rights of all religious minorities.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Iranian government on the (a) recent raids on the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education and (b) detention of 11 of its staff and faculty members.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned by Iranian action to shut down the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education. We raised this issue with the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires on 25 May 2011 making clear that we wanted persecution of the Baha'is to cease. We will continue to call on Iran to respect the full and equal rights of its people regardless of their faith or ethnicity in line with its international obligations.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what international structures his Department is participating to undertake post-conflict planning for Libya.

William Hague: Post-conflict stabilisation in Libya must be owned by the Libyan people, with the UN co-ordinating international support. The UN will lead on post-conflict planning and the UK is in close contact with them both in London and through our network of Posts. As a member of the UN Security Council, the EU, NATO and the Libya Contact Group, the UK is helping to shape the international effort in post-conflict Libya.
	The International Stabilisation Response Team, which recently visited Benghazi to identify stabilisation challenges facing the Libyan people, will help identify areas where the international community can support Libya during the transition period. The UK participated in this Team, along with Italy, Australia, Denmark, the US and Turkey.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on recognition of a Palestinian state.

Alistair Burt: The unprecedented changes of the Arab spring make progress on the peace process more urgent than ever. President Obama has called for the parties to return to the table for negotiations based on 1967 borders with agreed swaps and security arrangements that protect Israel and respect Palestinian sovereignty. The UK backs this call.
	We urge all parties to seize this moment of opportunity and return as soon as possible to direct negotiations. As I told all sides during my visit to the region on 27 June-1 July, we do not know if there will be a resolution in September, or what it will look like—so we have not made any decisions. Instead we urge both sides to look towards the things that are necessary to get a negotiated settlement and to return to talks as soon as possible.

Gaza

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) access for aid to and (b) legitimate trade with the Gaza Strip.

William Hague: Our top priorities in Gaza are to ensure that aid reaches those who need it, and, that, homes, schools, hospitals and other essential buildings are rebuilt. All parties to the conflict need to respect international humanitarian law and allow full and unhindered access for humanitarian aid and aid workers.
	Israel's decision to move from a list of 120 permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items was a positive step. However there has been no fundamental change in the crossings regime and economic stagnation and de-development in Gaza remain the norm. We are clear that more needs to be done, particularly to enable exports, accelerate key imports for reconstruction and ensure free movement of people.
	The UK continues to press the Israeli Government, bilaterally and by working with others such as the EU, on the issue. We will be working alongside our EU partners with Israel to achieve the real changes on the ground that we are looking for. Without economic growth in Gaza, there is a risk of fostering a more broadly radicalised environment. An improved economy and a resurgence of Gaza's pragmatic business community are not only essential for the people of Gaza, but are also firmly in Israel's security interests.
	We are taking practical steps to improve access to Gaza through our support to the UN Access Coordination Unit, our capacity building work with the Palestinian Authority and our work with the Office of the Quartet Representative on confidence building measures to facilitate exports from Gaza.

Yemen and Somalia: Politics and Government

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in (a) Yemen and (b) Somalia.

Alistair Burt: The UK Government remain extremely concerned about the situation in Yemen. Following the attack on President Saleh's mosque on 3 June the President is currently receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Since President Saleh left Yemen on 4 June, the capital has experienced a welcome lull in the fierce inter-factional fighting seen in previous months. But the situation elsewhere in Yemen remains tense. The Yemeni cities of Taiz and Aden have seen continuing fierce fighting. The Yemeni Government admit that they have lost security control over five governorates. Yemeni security forces are fighting to contain attempts by Islamic militants and others to control the towns of Zinjibar and Ja'ar in Abyan governorate. Continuing conflict is exacerbating the serious humanitarian crisis that Yemen already faces.
	Nonetheless, we continue to work with the Vice President and other key players in the Government and opposition to secure the political change that Yemen so badly needs. We continue to urge Vice President Hadi to engage with all sides to begin a peaceful political transition on the basis of the Gulf Co-operation Council agreement. We encourage all sides to participate in an inclusive dialogue as a way forward and to refrain from further violent clashes.
	Given the unstable security environment we advise against all travel to Yemen at this time and strongly urge all British nationals to leave the country now while commercial carriers are still flying.
	There is ongoing serious violence, dangerous levels of criminal activity and general internal insecurity in the southern and central regions of Somalia, and there are regular outbreaks of inter-clan violence and a high threat from terrorism throughout Somalia. We advise against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland.
	However, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has made good progress in recent months to secure Mogadishu. At present, AMISOM controls roughly 60% of Mogadishu's territory, home to around 80% of its population. I commend the bravery of AMISOM troops, and am encouraging the Transitional Federal Government to ensure that they build on these security gains to promote further stability in Mogadishu. Security and governance is also improving in Somaliland, as demonstrated by its recent successful and peaceful presidential elections.
	Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean continues to be a significant threat, especially for shipping which does not take appropriate precautions or follow agreed shipping industry best practice guidelines.

South Africa: Trials

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the South African authorities on the trial of Shrien Dewani.

Jeremy Browne: Shrien Dewani's case is a matter for the judicial authorities in the UK and in South Africa. We have made no representations to the South African authorities on this matter. We do however continue to follow the case closely. We have provided consular assistance to Mr Dewani and his family, and we will provide consular support to Mr Dewani should he return to South Africa.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his South African counterpart that country's involvement in the demilitarisation of the Abyei region of Sudan.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and his South African counterpart, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, discussed Sudan, including Abyei, at the recent UK-South Africa bilateral forum. There have also been ongoing discussions between British Ministers and ex-President Thabo Mbeki in his Chair of the African Union Higher Implementation Panel, which is helping to mediate between the two parties to the comprehensive peace agreement.

Syria

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the British embassy in Damascus offered to the hon. Member for Braintree during his visit to Syria in June 2011 to meet President Assad of Syria.

William Hague: The Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (Mr Newmark), travelled to Syria and met President Assad in a private capacity, Our embassy in Damascus did not provide any material support for his visit, but did provide him with an oral briefing to make clear the UK position on the unacceptable violence in Syria and the steps we think the Syrian regime should take to stop the violence and begin meaningful political reform.

Syria: Arms Trade

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) extent and (b) nature of the use of Russian-made arms by the Government of Syria in the suppression of protests; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have received no specific reports on the extent and nature of the use of Russian made military arms by the Government of Syria although Syria's armed forces are primarily supplied with equipment from the former Soviet Union.
	The UK strongly supported the adoption of EU restrictive measures on Syria, which included an arms embargo and restrictions on the supply of equipment which could be used for internal repression. In addition, the UK supported an EU wide asset freeze and travel ban against individuals and entities responsible for, and associated with, the unacceptable violence and ongoing repression against the civilian population in Syria.

Syria: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Syrian Government on arrests and house raids in the city of Hama.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said in a statement on 5 July 2011:
	“Violent repression in Hama will only further undermine the regime's legitimacy and raise serious questions about whether it is committed to the reforms it has recently announced. No meaningful political dialogue can take place while there is a brutal military crackdown.
	The UK has made clear that President Assad must reform or step aside. If the regime continues to choose the path of brutal repression, pressure from the international community will only increase.”
	My officials in Damascus regularly raise with the Syrian Government the indiscriminate violence perpetrated against peaceful demonstrators, calling for the regime to show restraint and to respond to the legitimate demands of its people with immediate and genuine reform, not with brutal repression.

Syria: Politics and Government

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Amnesty International on the political situation in Syria.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 258W.

Tibet: Politics and Government

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet with the newly-elected leader of the Tibetan Government.

Jeremy Browne: There are no plans to invite the Kalon Tripa to the UK. Since 1980 the UK has not accorded recognition to governments; we only accord recognition to states. So no question of our recognising the Tibetan Government in exile can arise.

Tibet: Politics and Government

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has held with the Chinese government on its future relations with the Tibetan government.

Jeremy Browne: While we recognise Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China, we believe long-term stability in Tibet can only be achieved through respect for human rights and genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution. We have urged the Chinese Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives as the best way to make this happen. I raised this with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Special Representative on Human Rights at the 19
	(th)
	Round of the UK-China human rights dialogue in January.

Yemen

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives he has set for his policy on Yemen.

Alistair Burt: Our overall objective is securing a more peaceful and stable Yemen, which presents a reduced risk to UK interests at home and in the region. Our work focuses on achieving a peaceful settlement to the current political stalemate; halting the country's decline into state failure; and working with the Yemeni authorities and others to disrupt Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's activities and operations. This is proving extremely difficult in the current volatile security climate in Yemen. Given our serious concerns about the security situation, we have drawn down our embassy to a small core team. That said, we continue to work with the Vice President and other key players in the Government and opposition to secure the political change that Yemen so badly needs. We continue to urge Vice President Hadi to engage with all sides to begin a peaceful political transition on the basis of the Gulf Co-operation Council agreement. We encourage all sides to participate in an inclusive dialogue as a way forward and to refrain from further violent clashes.